King Charles will deliver his second Christmas message as monarch on Christmas Day, following his inaugural speech last year, where officials were only allowed to make minor alterations to fit with archival footage inserted by producers.
He appears to be taking the same approach this year, as he has written the speech himself without help from advisers, according to the Mail Online.
The King has learnt that he speaks best in situations that are as off-the-cuff as possible, the source says, a talent he honed later in life.
Charles demonstrated this craft at the Diamond Jubilee Concert on The Mall in 2012, where he decided to forgo his notes and rewrote his whole speech in the royal box.
He even fired up the crowd to chant Prince Philip’s name so loudly in the hope his father might hear it from his hospital bed after he got drenched at the river pageant, – almost moving Queen Elizabeth to tears.
There’s not yet word on the topics and themes that will feature in the King’s speech this year, but a year of headline dominating events including the conflict in Gaza and the King’s own Coronation are just some topic areas that could be of conversation.
Charles is also very passionate about climate change and environmental issues, a fact that was made clear during his appearance at COP28, where he made a wide-ranging speech about the effects our behaviour may have on the next generation.
The King said: “I pray with all my heart that Cop28 will be another critical turning point towards genuine transformational action at a time when, already, as scientists have been warning for so long, we are seeing alarming tipping points being reached.
“Despite all the attention, there is 30 percent more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere now than there was back then, and almost 40 percent more methane.
“Some important progress has been made, but it worries me greatly that we remain so dreadfully far off track as the global stocktake report demonstrates so graphically.”
There is also a chance that the King could reference some of his own personal turmoil, including his relationship with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have had their fair share of issues with The Firm, documented in Harry’s book Spare, as well as the Omid Scobie release Endgame, which featured bombshell claims about senior members of the Royal Family, including a Dutch publication naming two royals in the centre of the Prince Archie race row.
Despite some negative headlines, Charles’s festive season is expected to be less sombre than the last, which marked the first without the late Queen.
Last year, the King will have had a lot on his mind following the passing of his mother, the impending release of his son’s memoir and the matter of organising his own Coronation celebrations.
This year, with a renewed sense of calm, and new additions to the Sandringham guest list that includes Queen Camilla’s children and grandchildren, the King will feel he has done well to make his mark on his first full year on the throne.
