Current:Home > Contact-usKing Charles III talks 'increasingly tragic conflict around the world' in Christmas message-InfoLens
King Charles III talks 'increasingly tragic conflict around the world' in Christmas message
View Date:2024-12-23 10:13:21
LONDON (AP) — King Charles III reflected his coronation theme of public service Monday in a Christmas message that he connected to the health of the planet and wars that are raging.
In a prerecorded video shot with him standing beside a Christmas tree in Buckingham Palace, the king spoke of the message of Jesus' life in serving those less fortunate as he honored the "selfless army" that forms the "backbone of our society" helping others.
"My heart has been warmed by countless examples of the imaginative ways in which people are caring for one another, going the extra mile to help those around them simply because they know it is the right thing to do," he said.
It was the king's second Christmas speech since he ascended the throne after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died in September 2022, but the first since his coronation in May when he was officially crowned in a medieval ceremony rich in pageantry and pomp.
Charles, who has long campaigned for environmental causes and recently told foreign leaders at the COP28 Climate Meeting that achieving climate goals remain "dreadfully far off track," said he was encouraged to see awareness growing of the need to protect the earth.
"To care for this creation is the responsibility owned by people of all faiths and of none," he said. "We care for the earth for the sake of our children's children."
In his own gesture towards sustainability, the evergreen next to him was bedecked in natural decorations made from wood, dried oranges, pinecones and paper. The tree, the first live one at the palace, was to be replanted after the holidays.
As Charles spoke, video showed highlights from his past year, including helping plant a tree during a trip to Kenya — his first state visit as monarch with Queen Camilla to a Commonwealth country.
It also featured footage from the coronation in which he declared, "I come not to be served but to serve." Another clip showed his eldest son, Prince William, heir to the throne, along with his wife, Kate, the princess of Wales, and their three children carrying out that mission by helping to rebuild a Scout hut during a day of service that followed the coronation.
His estranged son, Prince Harry, who left the ranks of the senior royals when he moved to the U.S. in 2020 with this wife, Meghan, wasn't shown in the video. Harry, who showed up alone at the coronation and was seated in the third row, inflamed tensions with his best-selling memoir, "Spare," published early in the year that accused his brother of beating him up.
At a time of "increasingly tragic conflict around the world," a reference to wars in Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas, Charles invoked the words of Christ to "do unto others as you would have them do to you."
"They remind us to imagine ourselves in the shoes of our neighbors and to seek their good as we would our own," he said. "My heart and my thanks go to all who are serving one another, all who are caring for our common home and all who see and seek the good of others, not least the friend we do not yet know."
Biggest moments from the coronation:King Charles and Camilla crowned, Prince Harry arrives
veryGood! (493)
Related
- Flurry of contract deals come as railroads, unions see Trump’s election looming over talks
- Mississippi man charged with shooting 5 people after not being allowed into party
- RHOBH's Kyle Richards Addresses PK Kemsley Cheating Rumors in the Best Way Possible
- Shawn Mendes quest for self-discovery is a quiet triumph: Best songs on 'Shawn' album
- Kyle Richards Swears This Holiday Candle Is the Best Scent Ever and She Uses It All Year
- Justice Department sues to block UnitedHealth Group’s $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys
- Tom Brady Shares How He's Preparing for Son Jack to Be a Stud
- Ex-Duke star Kyle Singler draws concern from basketball world over cryptic Instagram post
- Missouri prosecutor says he won’t charge Nelly after an August drug arrest
- Olivia Munn Randomly Drug Tests John Mulaney After Mini-Intervention
Ranking
- Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid Enjoy a Broadway Date Night and All that Jazz
- How to Build Your Target Fall Capsule Wardrobe: Budget-Friendly Must-Haves for Effortless Style
- Police identify 7-year-old child killed in North Carolina weekend shooting
- How to Build Your Target Fall Capsule Wardrobe: Budget-Friendly Must-Haves for Effortless Style
- New York nursing home operator accused of neglect settles with state for $45M
- When is 'The Golden Bachelorette' finale? Date, time, where to watch Joan Vassos' big decision
- Certifying this year’s presidential results begins quietly, in contrast to the 2020 election
- 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant makes viral mistake: 'Treat yourself a round of sausage'
Recommendation
-
Chrysler recalls over 200k Jeep, Dodge vehicles over antilock-brake system: See affected models
-
Krispy Kreme is giving free dozens to early customers on World Kindness Day
-
Groups seek a new hearing on a Mississippi mail-in ballot lawsuit
-
Trump ally Steve Bannon blasts ‘lawfare’ as he faces New York trial after federal prison stint
-
See Leonardo DiCaprio's Transformation From '90s Heartthrob to Esteemed Oscar Winner
-
How to Build Your Target Fall Capsule Wardrobe: Budget-Friendly Must-Haves for Effortless Style
-
Britney Spears reunites with son Jayden, 18, after kids moved in with dad Kevin Federline
-
Charles Hanover: A Summary of the UK Stock Market in 2023