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king charles christmas service© Photo: Getty Images

Why King Charles chose not to show family photos during first Christmas speech

The monarch has delivered his first Christmas message

Matthew Moore
Online News Writer & Diversity and Inclusion Lead
December 25, 2022
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King Charles has delivered his first Christmas speech, with the message having been recorded in the quite of St George's Chapel.

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The location was very poignant for the monarch, as it is the resting place of many of his family members, including his parents, the Queen and Prince Philip, grandparents, King George VI and the Queen Mother, and his aunt, Princess Margaret. The monarch looked very smart for his message, wearing a blue suit with a sustainable Christmas tree in the background.

WATCH: The King paid a touching tribute to his late mother, the Queen

However, fans will have noticed that King Charles didn't have any family photos with him when he delivered his message.

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There are a myriad of reasons for why the King didn't have any with him, including how the speech paid tribute to his late mother, with the monarch wanting to keep the focus on her, as evident by his choice of location.

A desk would have been too large to fit in the quire where Charles delivered the speech, also meaning that logistically no pictures could be shown. 

However, despite there being no photographs shown in the quire, there were a number of clips shown of various members of the royal family. As he paid tribute to his late mother, a clip of the Queen was shown for viewers and later in the speech, the Prince and Princess of Wales' trip to Swansea was also shown.

King Charles in a blue suit in church© Photo: Alamy

King Charles gave his first Christmas speech as monarch

In his speech, Charles focused on issues close to his heart, including sustainability, and this was evident with the setting that he chose. The sparkling Christmas tree behind him was reused by St George's Chapel after he recorded his message, and it had been decorated with sustainable ornaments, including pinecones.

The King is spending Christmas at Sandringham alongside the Queen Consort, and they are expected to be joined by other members of the royal family during the festive season.

READ: King Charles, Prince William and Princess Kate publicly defended by royal family member

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The late Queen would often remain at her Norfolk home following the festivities, returning to London in February, however, Charles will not do the same.

The monarch is expected to be travelling to his Scottish home of Birkhall, alongside the Queen Consort, early in the new year, where he will stay for a number of weeks.

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