The King’s Christmas speech focuses on peace, pilgrimage

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King Charles III called for unity and friendship in his annual address on Christmas Day. Speaking from Westminster Abbey, the king made pilgrimage the central theme of his speech. He characterized observers and participants in the birth of Jesus Christ as pilgrims, and calling on the world to exercise kindness and empathy for the pilgrims of today. Video clips were interspersed at various points throughout the roughly 10-minute address. The images showed Charles and other members of the British royal family at various state visits and public events throughout the past year.

What were the highlights of the speech? Charles brought up his and Queen Camilla’s historic attendance at an ecumenical Christian prayer service Pope Leo XIV held at the Sistine Chapel in October. The service marked the first time since the 16th-century Protestant Reformation for a sitting British monarch and the pope to publicly pray alongside each other.

The king went on to recall the 80th anniversaries of V-E Day and V-J Day celebrated earlier this year. He applauded the sacrifices made by the service members who served in World War II and won victory against the German Reich and the Japanese military.

What else did the monarch say about Christ? Charles called Mary and Joseph’s trip to Bethlehem “the greatest pilgrimage of all.” He said they arrived without shelter and called both the shepherds and the wisemen as pilgrims as well. All of them relied on the courage and companionship of others, he said. He added that the angels that night called for peace on Earth, and said Jesus would later call for the world to treat others as they would be treated. These are values that all religions share, he said.

Dig deeper: Check out these classic children’s Christmas books!