The monarch concluded his annual message by wishing viewers “a most peaceful and very happy Christmas”

Buckingham Palace has shared behind-the-scenes footage from King Charles’s Christmas address.

The video was posted on the Palace’s social media channels with a message thanking “the talented and creative team that brought The King’s Christmas Broadcast to life!”

During his annual message, the monarch appealed for “compassion and reconciliation” against a backdrop of worldwide “division”.

King Charles expressed that encounters with individuals from various religious backgrounds had left him feeling “enormously encouraged” about their “shared longing for peace” and mutual “respect for all life”.

Buckingham Palace has shared behind-the-scenes footage from King Charles’s Christmas address. | GETTY

The King reflected on his recent State Visit to the Vatican alongside Queen Camilla, describing it as “a historic moment of spiritual unity”.

“A few weeks ago, The Queen and I were delighted to make a State Visit to the Vatican where we prayed with Pope Leo in a historic moment of spiritual unity,” he said.

The visit centred on the Jubilee theme of “Pilgrims of Hope”, which the monarch wove throughout his address as a unifying concept.

He characterised pilgrimage as a journey that moves towards the future whilst simultaneously drawing lessons from history, emphasising the common ground shared by people of different faiths.

The King connected this pilgrimage theme to this year’s commemorations marking eight decades since VE Day and VJ Day, acknowledging that living memories of the Second World War are diminishing with each passing year.

“The end of the Second World War is now remembered by fewer and fewer of us, as the years pass,” he observed.

However, he emphasized that the bravery and selflessness displayed by service personnel, along with the spirit of community solidarity during wartime, offer an enduring lesson for contemporary society.

These principles, he noted, had fundamentally shaped both the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, cautioning against allowing them to fade amid ongoing domestic and international tensions.

The monarch concluded his annual message by wishing viewers “a most peaceful and very happy Christmas”. | GETTY

The King spoke movingly about those who perished in both World Wars, noting that war cemetery gravestones reveal many fallen soldiers were merely 18, 19 or 20 years old.

“For instance, it is impossible not to be deeply moved by the ages of the fallen as the gravestones in our War Cemeteries remind us,” he reflected.

Throughout the past year, the monarch said he had drawn inspiration from tales of bravery and kindness, citing military veterans, aid workers operating in perilous conflict regions, and everyday people who demonstrated courage protecting others.

He concluded by wishing viewers “a most peaceful and very happy Christmas”.