King Charles’s Christmas broadcast will be staged outside a royal residence

King Charles will deliver his Christmas broadcast from Westminster Abbey this year, centred on the theme of pilgrimage.

It marks his fourth festive message and the second staged outside a royal residence.

The historic central London landmark is a site of pilgrimage, home to the tomb of Edward the Confessor. Edward, who reigned for 24 years before dying in 1066, was canonised in 1161, with his shrine attracting pilgrims for centuries.

The broadcast was filmed within the Abbey’s Lady Chapel, a late medieval construction built for Henry VII, the burial place for 15 kings and queens.

Repurposed Christmas trees from the Princess of Wales’s carol concert, held earlier in December, form the backdrop, beneath the chapel’s spectacular fan-vaulted ceiling and the colourful banners of the Order of the Bath’s knights.

Out of view above the King’s head are the colourful banners of the chivalry order’s knights, hanging beneath the chapel’s spectacular fan-vaulted ceiling.

It is understood the King asked for a filming location away from a royal setting and suggestions were made by the BBC, which produced the broadcast this year, and the royal household.

This follows last year’s message, recorded at Fitzrovia Chapel, a former sacred space in central London, notable as the site where Diana, Princess of Wales, opened the capital’s first dedicated Aids ward.

It has seen a surge in visitor numbers for exhibitions and open days since the broadcast on Christmas Day 2024.

The King’s message is one of the rare occasions where the monarch can voice personal views without government advice.

Written by the monarch, it typically features a strong religious framework, reflects current issues, and often draws on personal experiences.

The broadcast will be transmitted on both television and radio at 3pm on Christmas Day.