King Charles praised the work of volunteers, describing them as a “selfless people’s army” who formed “a vital pillar of our society”.
In his second Christmas message, the king said he was delighted that hundreds of volunteers and their representatives had attended his coronation in May, saying their presence “underscored the significance of the coronation itself and, above all, the We are all called upon to serve one another and love all people.”
In an apparent reference to rising homelessness and the provision of housing for displaced victims of the conflict, such as Ukrainians, the monarch highlighted the part of Jesus’ story in which “strangers came to Mary and Joseph in their time of need” They provide shelter”.
Last Christmas, he highlighted the cost of living crisis and the “enormous anxiety and difficulty” of many people trying to “pay their bills and keep their families fed and clothed”.
In November, he launched the Coronation Food Project, which will distribute otherwise wasted food to people suffering from food poverty. In a speech on Monday, he said “we need to build on the ways we are already supporting those who are less fortunate than us”.
This month he said the world was still “far off track” on key climate targets set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement and called for “meaningful change” in his opening speech at the Cop28 climate summit.
In a broadcast on December 25 this year, the King stood in front of a portable Christmas tree and said that the earth must be protected “for the sake of our children’s children.”
He added: “Throughout my lifetime I have been extremely pleased to see a growing awareness of how we must protect the planet and our common home – the natural world.”
He also mentioned the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, saying: “At this increasingly tragic time of conflict around the world, I pray that we also do everything we can to protect each other.”
Acknowledging other faiths, the king described how “the world’s great religions” celebrate the holiday with special meals and how “people of all faiths and none” have a responsibility to care for the natural world.
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The speech was delivered in Buckingham Palace’s central room, which opens onto a balcony overlooking the shopping centre.
Earlier in the day, members of the royal family attended a traditional Christmas church service at Sandringham Estate.
The Prince and Princess of Wales walked hand-in-hand with their children George, Charlotte and Louis behind the King and Queen as royal fans gathered and they were welcomed by around 1,000 local residents, many of whom were there over Christmas Waited outside the manor for several hours in the morning.
Sarah, Duchess of York – the ex-wife of the disgraced Duke of York – attended the funeral in what appeared to be a public display of her return to the heart of the family.
