Read The King’s Christmas Day speech in full

Charles called on people to protect each other, delivered message about environment and praised volunteers serving communities

The King has called on people to protect each other, delivered a powerful message about the environment and praised volunteers serving communities across the country in the second Christmas broadcast of his reign.

The festive address – the second since the death of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022 – was delivered standing up in Buckingham Palace’s centre room, which opens onto the famous balcony overlooking The Mall.

Charles called on people to “protect each other” as he said the world is living through a time of increasingly tragic conflict.

Follow our live coverage of the Royal family at Christmas here.

King Charles III during the recording of his Christmas message at Buckingham Palace this year (PA)

The King also described the “selfless army” of volunteers serving communities across the country as the “essential backbone of our society”. He said the presence of community stalwarts among his coronation guests emphasised the meaning of the ceremony – “a call to us all to serve one another”.

There was also an environmental element to the address from Charles, who has spent much of his adult life defending the planet and now found “great inspiration” from the many people who recognise “we must protect the Earth and our natural world”. He concluded by thanking those who were “caring for our common home”.

Britain's King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis attend the Royal Family's Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene's church (REUTERS)

Here is the full text of the King’s Christmas broadcast:

“Many of the festivals of the great religions of the world are celebrated with a special meal. A chance for family and friends to come together across generations; the act of sharing food adding to conviviality and togetherness.

“For some, faith will be uppermost in their hearts. For others, it will be the joy of fellowship and the giving of presents. It is also a time when we remember those who are no longer with us and think also of those whose work of caring for others continues, even on this special day.

“This care and compassion we show to others is one of the themes of the Christmas story, especially when Mary and Joseph were offered shelter in their hour of need by strangers, as they waited for Jesus to be born.

“Over this past year my heart has been warmed by countless examples of the imaginative ways in which people are caring for one another – going the extra mile to help those around them simply because they know it is the right thing to do: at work and at home; within and across communities.

King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort are seen during the ‘Together at Christmas’ Carol Service at Westminster Abbey this year (Getty Images)

“My wife and I were delighted when hundreds of representatives of that selfless army of people – volunteers who serve their communities in so many ways and with such distinction – were able to join us in Westminster Abbey for the coronation earlier this year.

“They are an essential backbone of our society. Their presence meant so much to us both and emphasised the meaning of coronation itself: above all, a call to us all to serve one another; to love and care for all.

“Service also lies at the heart of the Christmas story – the birth of Jesus who came to serve the whole world, showing us by his own example how to love our neighbour as ourselves.

“Throughout the year, my family have witnessed how people of all ages are making a difference to their communities. This is all the more important at a time of real hardship for many, when we need to build on existing ways to support others less fortunate than ourselves.

Britain's King Charles III delivers his message during the recording of his first Christmas broadcast in the Quire of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, last year

“Because out of God’s providence we are blessed with much, and it is incumbent on us to use this wisely.

“However, service to others is but one way of honouring the whole of creation which, after all, is a manifestation of the divine. This is a belief shared by all religions.

“To care for this creation is a responsibility owned by people of all faiths and of none. We care for the Earth for the sake of our children’s children.

“During my lifetime I have been so pleased to see a growing awareness of how we must protect the Earth and our natural world as the one home which we all share.

A family watch as Britain's Queen Elizabeth II makes her first televised Christmas broadcast on 25 December, 1957 (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

“I find great inspiration now from the way so many people recognise this – as does the Christmas story, which tells us that angels brought the message of hope first to shepherds. These were people who lived simply amongst others of God’s creatures. Those close to nature were privileged that night.

“And at a time of increasingly tragic conflict around the World, I pray that we can also do all in our power to protect each other. The words of Jesus seem more than ever relevant: ‘Do to others as you would have them do to you.’

“Such values are universal, drawing together our Abrahamic family of religions, and other belief systems, across the Commonwealth and wider world. They remind us to imagine ourselves in the shoes of our neighbours, and to seek their good as we would our own.

“So on this Christmas Day, my heart and my thanks go to all who are serving one another; all who are caring for our common home; and all who see and seek the good of others, not least the friend we do not yet know. In this way, we bring out the best in ourselves.

“I wish you a Christmas of ‘peace on Earth and goodwill to all’, today and always.”