King Charles Breaks Royal Precedent with Filming of Major New Speech

King Charles III is switching things up this Christmas by filming his traditional holiday message in a completely new location.

For the first time in over a decade, the monarch chose not to record his speech at a royal residence. Instead, he filmed it at Fitzrovia Chapel in London, a former hospital chapel now serving as a venue space for weddings and such.

“This year, The King’s Christmas Broadcast was filmed in the Fitzrovia Chapel, London,” the official royal family's Instagram shared, adding that it connects “diverse communities from all faiths or none.”

The chapel holds significant history, as in 1928, King Charles’s grandfather, King George VI, laid its foundation stone, the post elaborated, adding that the Christmas tree featured in the broadcast was donated to the Croydon BME Forum and Macmillan Cancer Support’s ‘Can You C Me?’ project, and it will later be displayed at the Royal Trinity Hospice in Clapham, the oldest hospice in the UK.

This marks King Charles’s third Christmas message since becoming king, following previous broadcasts filmed at St George’s Chapel in Windsor and Buckingham Palace. It’s also the first time in over 18 years that the message hasn’t been recorded at a royal estate. The last time this happened was in 2006 when Queen Elizabeth II recorded her Christmas message at Southwark Cathedral.

According to The Telegraph, the chapel was chosen for its deep ties to healthcare, reflecting two important themes for the King: healthcare and community support. These issues are especially personal for Charles, who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and continues to undergo treatment. A royal source also tells the outlet, that the King wanted the message to have a more modern, fresh feel, showing his desire to “reach out into communities rather than bringing them into him.”