LONDON (AP) — King Charles III used his annual Christmas message Wednesday to hail the selflessness of those who have cared for him and the Princess of Wales this year, after both were diagnosed with cancer.
The 76-year-old monarch said he and his family are “continually” impressed by those who dedicate their lives to helping others.
“From a personal point of view, I offer special, heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who this year have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness and have helped provide the strength, care and comfort we have needed,” he said in a prerecorded speech.
The broadcast came several hours after the monarch waved to a large crowd of onlookers who traditionally gather to see the royal family attend Christmas Day services at a church on Sandringham, the estate on the windswept North Sea coast that has served as a family retreat for generations.
The king walked with Queen Camilla as his eldest son, Prince William, Kate and their three children followed. The king’s daughter-in-law, who has slowly returned to public duties after completing chemotherapy, hugged a cancer patient after the service.