King Charles sent a personal message of gratitude to health workers who supported him during his cancer treatment, in his annual Christmas speech.
In a frank message, he sent his “sincere thanks” to the doctors and nurses who helped overcome “the uncertainties and anxieties of the disease”.
The king also praised the efforts of those building links between different communities in what he called the “anger and anarchy” of the summer’s riots.
Ethnic and religious diversity is a sign of “strength and not weakness”, indicates the king’s message.
This year’s Christmas show was delivered to Fitzrovia Chapel in Londonit was the first time a venue outside a royal residence had been used in over a decade.
This was the former chapel of Middlesex Hospital, reflecting the theme of respect for those who work in the health service.
“We all go through some form of suffering at some point in our lives, whether mental or physical,” the king said, but the “measure of our civilization” is how well people are supported in such moments.
The king’s message, recorded earlier this month, expressed gratitude to medical professionals and “selfless” volunteers who used their skills to “care for others – often at some cost to themselves.”
He acknowledged the help given to other members of his family, including the Princess of Wales. be diagnosed with cancer this year.
And he thanked the public for their kind words and messages, following the revelation of his own cancer diagnosis in February.
The broadcast showed him meeting cancer patients, during his return to public engagements in April, during a visit to University College Hospital in London.
The king’s treatment will continue until 2025, but as a positive sign of progress he is planning a busy schedule of foreign visits and travel next year.
Another major theme of the speech was the emphasis on community cohesion.
The King praised the efforts of those who sought to build bridges between communities after the summer riotswho followed the stabbing attack in Southport.
“I felt a deep sense of pride here in the UK when, in response to the anger and anarchy in several cities this summer, communities came together, not to repeat these behaviors, but to make repairs. To repair not only buildings, but also relationships,” the king said.
“Cultural, ethnic and religious diversity is a strength and not a weakness,” said the king, who welcomed efforts to “respect our differences and overcome prejudices.”
The king’s words echo the Christmas message given by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, in 2004, when she addressed community tensions, saying that “diversity is indeed a strength and not a threat.”
In a speech earlier this year on the occasion of Commonwealth Day, the King had also highlighted the same message that “diversity is our greatest strength”.
The Christmas broadcast included photos of Prince William and Catherine thanking emergency workers who responded to the Southport knife attack, during a visit which included a meeting with bereaved families.
Accompanying the speech, a community choir sang the song Once in Royal David’s City. And a Christmas tree seen on the show has since been donated to a Clapham hospice.
The king expressed sympathy for people threatened by wars across the world, including in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The King congratulated the “remarkable veterans of this very special generation” by recalling Commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the Landing.
The show followed the convention of showing working royals, so there were no sightings of Prince Harry or Prince Andrew.
King Charles spends Christmas Day at Sandringham, Norfolk.
Crowds gathered in the morning to see him go to a religious service with familyincluding Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales.