Overview
- Palace officials confirmed the pre-recorded broadcast was filmed in Westminster Abbey’s Henry VII Lady Chapel and will air at 3pm on Christmas Day across TV and radio.
- ‘Pilgrimage’ is the central theme, with the Abbey chosen for its long history as a site of devotion linked to Edward the Confessor and its role as the Order of the Bath’s chapel and the burial place of 15 monarchs.
- This marks the second year in a row the King has recorded the message away from a royal residence, following last year’s Fitzrovia Chapel setting.
- Christmas trees seen in the background were repurposed from the Princess of Wales’s Together at Christmas concert, with several later donated to charities including The Passage and the Oak Cancer Centre.
- Some outlets report the speech may also be offered in virtual reality for Meta Quest 3 users, though this has not been confirmed by Buckingham Palace.