King Charles notably excluded Prince Harry and Prince Andrew from his Christmas Day address. The 76-year-old monarch delivered a pre-recorded message to the nation from London’s Fitzrovia Chapel, formerly part of Middlesex Hospital.
He expressed his pride in the UK’s response to recent riots and paid homage to the medical staff who aided him and the Princess of Wales during their cancer treatments.
However, his annual speech included clips of Prince William and other Royal Family members, but there was no mention of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, or his scandal-ridden brother, Prince Andrew.
Royal historian Dr Tessa Dunlop suggested that this omission indicated the King had ‘clearly made up his mind’.
Speaking to The Mirror about the King’s speech, Tessa said: “Lest we are in any doubt, the clever film that accompanied this speech, underscored the importance of the King’s royal A-Team, on hand to deliver what Charles considers to be an alternative to global killing: a listening and understanding mission that leads to actions for the good of all.
“As well as a replay of the King’s famous hug with the New Zealand women’s rugby team, there was footage of Kate at Trooping the Colour, Camilla in Scotland and Australia, William serving food to the homeless and, of course, those Royal stalwarts, Princess Anne and the Edinburghs.”
Tessa observed: “Crucially, also-rans Princes Andrew and Harry were nowhere to be seen. The King has clearly made up his mind about how to ‘act for the good of all’, choosing to focus on family strengths, not weaknesses, to shore up a nation (and a world) for a difficult year ahead.”
It’s been a while since Harry and Andrew have featured in the Royal monarch’s Christmas speech, with the late Queen Elizabeth notably excluding them from her 2019 message. The King has since abandoned this tradition entirely.
While their absence was significant, another Royal expert suggested that the King’s change of backdrop was also indicative of the strained Royal relationships. Royal author Robert Hardman stated that the unusual decision to film the Christmas speech outside of Royal grounds might have saved Charles from the typical intense scrutiny of the photos displayed.
The backdrop of the monarch’s annual message often triggers debate when pictures of Harry and Meghan are missing. However, instead of having framed photographs behind him at Buckingham Palace as the Queen traditionally did, the King only had a Christmas tree, lights and a beautiful view of the chapel.
Mr Hardman told the Daily Mail: “By avoiding a Royal desk or sitting room, the King has also avoided any micro-analysis of whichever Royal photographs and portraits are in shot, and thus hinting at who is (or is not) in Royal favour. The Fitzrovia Chapel reveals nothing more tantalising than a Christmas tree decorated with ‘sustainable’ decorations.”