King Charles III has used his annual Christmas message to acknowledge community members who have demonstrated “spontaneous bravery” in times of peril.
Delivering the address on Thursday, his fourth as monarch, the king said the many stories of the “triumph of courage over adversity” over the past year had given him hope in the spirit of humanity, despite increased division.
“From our venerable military veterans to selfless humanitarian workers in this century’s most dangerous conflict zones, to the ways in which individuals and communities display spontaneous bravery, instinctively placing themselves in harm’s way to defend others,” the 77-year-old said.
“As I meet people of different faiths, I find it enormously encouraging to hear how much we have in common.
“A shared longing for peace and a deep respect for all life. If we can find time in our journey through life to think on these virtues, we can all make the future more hopeful.”
King Charles’s message comes weeks after the terror attack at Bondi Beach in which 15 members of the Jewish community were killed while attending a Chanukah celebration.
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On Wednesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a new honours list would be created for people who showed “extraordinary” bravery during the December 14 massacre.
He said the recipients, who will be announced in 2026, would include police, medical staff and members of the community who rushed to help during and in the wake of the attack.
The special honours list will be similar to those used after the Bali bombings and the MH17 plane crash.
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In his message, King Charles urged people of different faiths to find common ground and stressed the need for tolerance, saying the strength of modern societies lies in the diversity of their people.
“Indeed, as our world seems to spin ever faster, our journey may pause to quieten our minds … and allow ourselves to renew,” he said.
“With the great diversity of our communities, we can find the strength to ensure that right triumphs over wrong.
“It seems to me that we need to cherish the values of compassion and reconciliation, the way our Lord lived and died.”
The king did not explicitly reference the wars in Gaza, Ukraine, or Africa in his mention of conflict zones.
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King Charles’s 2025 Christmas message was filmed at Westminster Abbey, marking its second time being recorded outside a royal residence after last year.
The address’s theme this year was ‘pilgrims of hope’, fitting the choice to film at the abbey, which remains a major church of pilgrimage
“Pilgrimage is a word less used today, but it is of particular significance to our modern world and especially at Christmas,” the king said.
“It is about journeying forward, into the future, while also journeying back to remember the past and learn from its lessons.”
The monarch’s annual holiday message is watched by millions of people in the UK and across the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 56 independent nations, most of which have historic links to the former British Empire.
The speech typically has a strong religious framework, reflects current issues, and sometimes draws on the monarch’s personal experiences.
This year’s address comes just two weeks after Charles made a deeply personal television appearance in which he said “good news” from his doctors meant that he would be able to reduce his treatment for cancer in the new year.
The king was diagnosed with a still undisclosed form of cancer in early 2024.
Buckingham Palace said that his treatment was now moving to a “precautionary phase” and his condition would be monitored to ensure his continued recovery.
Charles recorded last year’s speech at Fitzrovia Chapel, which was once part of the now demolished Middlesex Hospital. During that address, he honoured care workers around the country and gave a special thanks to the doctors and nurses who supported him after his cancer diagnosis.
ABC/AP