King Charles III, being treated for cancer, chose the setting of a former hospital chapel for his Christmas speech, breaking with the tradition of delivering this address from a royal residence, Buckingham Palace announced on Monday.
• Also read: Cadbury and Unilever snubbed by King Charles III
This speech will end a trying year for the British royal family, after the announcements of the king's cancer in February and, in March, that of Princess Kate.
The speech, which will be broadcast on Wednesday at 3 p.m. GMT (10 a.m. in Montreal) on Sky News, was pre-recorded at Fitzrovia Chapel in central London.
This Byzantine-inspired chapel was part of the old Middlesex Hospital. “It served as a place of comfort, prayer and rest for staff and patients,” according to a statement from Buckingham Palace.
Today it is a cultural space hosting concerts and exhibitions, also open to visits.
The king, aged 76, gradually resumed his public activities in April and is continuing treatment for his cancer, the nature of which has not been revealed.
Her daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, announced in September the end of her chemotherapy.
The last time this traditional Christmas speech took place outside a royal residence was in 2006, when Charles' mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, delivered it at Southwark Cathedral in London.
In his last Christmas speech, from Buckingham Palace, Charles III spoke of his environmental concerns and sent a message of peace.
