The British royal family’s Christmas rituals close out a difficult year

LONDON – As Britain’s royal family gathered for Christmas dinner, festive cheers capped off a tumultuous 2024.

This year has proven to be challenging for the Royal Family, particularly with the double cancer diagnosis of King Charles III and Kate, Princess of Wales.

In a nod to this reality, Charles delivered his annual address to the King from a former hospital chapel, marking a break from tradition and the first time in more than a decade that a Christmas address had not been recorded from a royal palace or estate.

In his letter, Charles offered “a special, heartfelt thank you to the dedicated doctors and nurses” who he said “supported me and my other family members through the uncertainty and anxiety associated with the disease, and helped provide strength, care and comfort.” “He needed us.”

He also sent his thoughts to those affected by the many conflicts raging around the world, speaking of meeting veterans on the 80th anniversary of D-Day and pointing to his recent visit to the South Pacific for a Commonwealth Summit as evidence of how “diverse the world is.” Culture, race and faith provide strength, not weakness.

“Wishing you and everyone you love a happy and peaceful Christmas,” Charles said.

Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent, told NBC News that Christmas is “a really important occasion for the royal family,” noting that the last time the public saw the family was “all smiles, doing what they love, which is meeting members of the royal family.” . Audience, “It was Christmas Day” last year.

The royal family is spending the holiday at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, on the east coast of England. The property was among the homes of five generations of British royalty.

On Christmas morning, they attended a traditional mass in a church near Sandringham House and took part in a procession where they were greeted by members of the public.

However, most of the rest of their holiday celebration will remain private, concluding a year that Prince William described as “brutal”, after his wife and father were diagnosed with cancer. “It’s been horrific. This has probably been the hardest year of my life,” William told Sky News, NBC News’ international partner, last month.

Charles and Queen Camilla hosted a pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace last week, but William and his family, as well as Charles’ brother Prince Andrew, were among the notable absentees.

William and Kate did not attend, as they were already in Norfolk with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

However, Andrew’s absence has been another “huge blow” to him and his family, said Emily Nash, royal editor at Hello! This was stated in an interview with NBC News last Thursday.

The scandal-plagued prince made headlines again last week after a British High Court ruling said he had developed an “extraordinary degree of trust” with a man alleged to be a Chinese spy. Andrew’s office said in a statement that he “ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised.”

Andrew had previously been linked to notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and in 2021 Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Andrew accusing him of sexually assaulting her on separate occasions in the 1990s, when she was 17 years old.

Andrew has repeatedly denied this allegation. He later paid a large sum to settle Joffrey’s lawsuit.

A one-time war hero, Andrew served in the British Royal Navy and flew a number of missions during the conflict with Argentina in 1982 over the remote Falkland Islands. He restored his military affiliations and royal patronage in January 2022.

“He has lost any kind of public life and work, and now he has to miss private family gatherings,” Nash said. “It’s all about protecting the reputation of the royal family.”

“He’s in the eye of the storm right now,” she added.

Last year, Andrew attended Christmas Mass at Sandringham with the rest of the royal family, so “he’s come back from the cold somewhat in the past, but at the moment it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen anytime soon,” Nash said. He said.

Earlier this month, Kate continued a long-standing tradition by hosting her annual carol service at Westminster Abbey in London. The service was closed to the public, although 1,600 community members were invited to attend.

The service was recorded on 6 December and broadcast by the BBC on Christmas Eve.

Reflecting on the significance of Kate’s concert, Nicole said that she not only brings “the nation together on Christmas Eve with her concert, but also brings together the royal family and her family. I think it closes [the year] In the spirit of hope and optimism.”

In January this year, Kate was hospitalized for about two weeks to undergo abdominal surgery for unspecified reasons. Tests revealed she had cancer, and she later revealed in a rare video statement that she was undergoing chemotherapy, her first public acknowledgment of her health struggles amid widespread speculation.

In September, Kate said she had completed chemotherapy and would return to a light schedule of public engagements until the end of the year.

In February, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Charles, now 76, had been diagnosed with cancer. He chose to share his diagnosis “in the hope that it will aid public understanding of all those affected by cancer around the world,” the statement said.

He resumed his public duties as king in April after making progress in his treatment. The illness has raised speculation that Charles might abdicate, a prospect royal experts say is unlikely but highlights the challenges facing his rule.

investigation Last month, the British newspaper “The Sunday Times” and the “Dispatches” program broadcast by Channel 4 revealed details about the royal family’s real estate empires and the tax-exempt business deals they concluded with taxpayer-funded government institutions to preserve their wealth.

Small anti-monarchy protests also greeted Charles during an October trip to Australia, which is due to vote on a referendum on whether or not to remain a constitutional monarchy. The death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, has revived debate among Commonwealth countries about leaving the monarchy, with some planning to hold referendums to vote on Charles’ removal from the position of head of state.

Meanwhile, Camilla, 77, has also faced health challenges. A chest infection meant she missed last month’s commemoration events, which honor British and Commonwealth service members who lost their lives in the conflict.

This has added to the uncertainty surrounding the health of senior royals this year.

Nicholl said that despite the year’s challenges, it had “brought the royal family very close to each other, especially the Princess of Wales and the King”, given their shared experience with cancer, adding: “I think they have never seemed more cohesive as a family.” “.

However, this closeness within the royal family highlights the rift with Charles’ youngest son, Prince Harry.

Harry, his wife Meghan Markle and their children Archie and Lilibet will not attend Christmas at Sandringham.

Nicol said their children had only met their grandfather on “less than a handful of occasions”. “There is a very big divide,” both physically and metaphorically, between Harry, who lives in California, and the rest of the royal family.

Although Harry spoke of his hopes for reconciliation, Nicholl noted that “it seems a bit far-fetched.”

Harry’s memoir, which was released in early 2023, made headlines for its revelations and allegations. In the spring, Harry officially considered himself a US resident, according to a UK regulatory filing. He and Meghan moved to California in 2020 after stepping down from royal duties.

“While the door has always remained open for the king, he wants to have a relationship with his son,” Nicholl said. A fundamental problem is that there has been a breakdown of trust here. I think Harry needs to regain that confidence.