Kate Middleton Gets Special Recognition in King Charles’ Modern Christmas Speech
While the first public address was delivered via radio and later transitioned to television, it is now poised to move to an entirely new medium.
Just like every year, there is buzz once again around King Charles’ Christmas speech. Royal enthusiasts are speculating about several topics the King is likely to address this year. While some believe he may speak about his own and Princess Kate’s cancer treatment, others suggest he will undoubtedly touch upon ongoing wars and growing concerns over a lack of humanity in the world today. Amid all these anticipated themes, the King is also expected to introduce a new twist to his annual Christmas speech, and it comes with a Kate connection.
Listening to the monarch’s Christmas address each year, wrapped in blankets, has long been a cherished tradition in many British households. This year, however, it is set to be different. After following the same format since its inception in 1932 under King George V, the Christmas speech will reportedly embrace a modern twist. While the first public address was delivered via radio and later transitioned to television, it is now poised to move to an entirely new medium. The speech will air live at 3 pm GMT.
Though the Christmas address has been a royal tradition for generations, it was 25 years after its debut that the late Queen Elizabeth II’s message became a sensation when it moved to television. Several years later, in 2012, the monarch once again embraced innovation when her speech was recorded in 3D. “We wanted to do something a bit different and special in this Jubilee year, so doing it for the first time in 3D seemed a good thing, technology-wise, to do. The Queen absolutely agreed straight away there was no need for convincing at all, she was absolutely ready to embrace something new in this year," added the royal spokesperson.
This year, the monarchy will take a step ahead and transition to VR. As per The Sun, the King's speech will now be available in virtual reality. “We have a great tradition of embracing new technologies from the very start of the royal Christmas message and are always looking to reach out to new audiences," revealed an insider. Meta Quest 3 VR headset viewers will reportedly come into play, and using those, one will get to enjoy a new and immersive viewing experience.
Via the new update, viewers will get the experience of listening and seeing the King directly in a luxurious wooden lodge or a full cinema. The King will also pay an ode to Kate. He will address the nation from a location linked to the Princess. The message was not film the speech in his palace but in the Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey, London. The backdrop will consist of twinkling Christmas lights and trees, which were previously decorated for Kate’s Together at Christmas carol concert.
According to reports, several of the Christmas trees, which were used during the Westminster Abbey service, have since been repurposed or donated to charities. The organizations said to benefit from the initiative include homelessness charity The Passage and the Oak Cancer Centre in Sutton. Talking about the anticipated speech, King will come live on BBC One, BBC Two, and ITV1 at 3 pm GMT.
