King Charles' Christmas message in full as he urges nation to have 'care and compassion' in the year ahead

dailyrecord.co.uk:

King Charles delivered his annual Christmas message to the nation this afternoon, where he called on people to show "care and compassion," and shed light on where darkness looms.It was the monarch’s third festive broadcast, with his first speech in 2022 following the death of his mother, the Queen.

During his message last year, the King also similarly called on people to show care for each other as well as for our planet.This year, Charles called on the nation to "bring hope where there is despair," as he touched on the "devastating effects of conflict" across the Middle East, Central Europe, Africa and many other places across the globe.

The 76-year-old pleaded with people across the country to dig deep and care for one another. He candidly admitted, "During previous commemorations we were able to console ourselves with the thought that these tragic events seldom happen in the modern era.“But, on this Christmas Day, we cannot help but think of those for whom the devastating effects of conflict – in the Middle East, in Central Europe, in Africa and elsewhere – pose a daily threat to so many people’s lives and livelihoods."Charles pointed out, "That is the heart of the Nativity Story and we can hear its beat in the belief of all the great faiths in the love and mercy of God in times of joy and of suffering, calling us to bring light where there is darkness."He also broadcast his deepest thanks to the outpour of love and support him and his family have been given over the course of 2024, which has seen many challenging times for the royals amid his own cancer diagnosis and that of Kate Middleton.Charles said, "I am speaking to you today from the Chapel of the former Middlesex Hospital in London – now itself a vibrant