King Charles’ Christmas message to focus on healthcare workers
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Monarch, who is undergoing cancer treatment, sought venue with strong health connections and community presence. The king’s Christmas message will focus on the efforts of healthcare workers after a year in which Charles and the Princess of Wales were treated for cancer.
![[The Byzantine-inspired Fitzrovia Chapel is a Grade II* listed building richly decorated in a Gothic revival style]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e385a703f8a50e25d731d45605e7fa6f15b1c08d/0_0_2580_3870/master/2580.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Charles will also use his annual address to the nation to hail communities who came together in solidarity in the aftermath of rioting, following the fatal Southport stabbings of three young girls. The message was recorded at Fitzrovia Chapel, a former sacred space of the demolished Middlesex hospital where Diana, Princess of Wales opened London’s first dedicated Aids ward.
It is understood the speech will reflect on international, national and personal challenges and how they can be overcome by communities supporting one another. Carla Whalen, the chair of the Fitzrovia Chapel Foundation’s board of trustees, said of the location of the filming: “I assume that this space being one of calm reflection, but also thinking about health, about care, about the medical profession, would make it a pretty apt choice.”.
In keeping with the king’s desire to go out into the community, the monarch tasked the team organising the broadcast to find a site away from the royal estate. He gave them a set of criteria the building must fulfil, including having health connections, a strong community presence and providing all faiths a place of solace and reflection.
