{"id":45880,"date":"2025-12-25T15:30:04","date_gmt":"2025-12-25T15:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/?p=45880"},"modified":"2025-12-25T15:30:04","modified_gmt":"2025-12-25T15:30:04","slug":"ce86x326y08oat_mediumrssat_campaignrss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/2025\/12\/25\/ce86x326y08oat_mediumrssat_campaignrss\/","title":{"rendered":"King&#8217;s Christmas message urges communities to pull together in divided world"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<div data-component=\"byline-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 dPVOKT\">\n<div data-testid=\"byline\" class=\"sc-573fa0e8-0 bWRWzH\"><span data-testid=\"byline-contributors\" class=\"sc-573fa0e8-11 cOQNNv\"><\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"byline-contributors-contributor-0\" class=\"sc-573fa0e8-5 gXJgDY\">\n<p><span class=\"sc-573fa0e8-7 gqeTMs\">Sean Coughlan<\/span><span data-testid=\"byline-contributors-contributor-0-role-location\" class=\"sc-573fa0e8-8 bIfajQ\">Royal correspondent<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"sc-536eff7b-0 gnQokQ\">King Charles: &#8216;We can find the strength to ensure that right triumphs over wrong&#8217;<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 dPVOKT\">\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">The King&#8217;s Christmas message has invoked the wartime spirit, calling on communities to pull together in an increasingly divided world and urging people to get &#8220;to know our neighbours&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">His traditional speech, recorded in Westminster Abbey, remembered this year&#8217;s 80th anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day and said we should &#8220;never lose sight&#8221; of the values in which &#8220;communities came together in the face of such great challenge&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">The King, speaking in the abbey&#8217;s medieval Lady Chapel, also hailed the &#8220;spontaneous bravery&#8221; of those who helped in emergencies, such as the Bondi Beach attack in Australia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">A Ukrainian choir sang a carol, with many of the group&#8217;s singers in the UK because of the war.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 dPVOKT\">\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">The speech included a call for quiet and calm as &#8220;our world seems to spin ever faster&#8221;, with King Charles quoting poet TS Eliot&#8217;s words about finding the &#8220;still point of the turning world&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">A royal aide said this was a reference to the social impact of new technologies on communities, and that people might consider a &#8220;digital detox&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">For the second year, the message was delivered in a location away from a royal palace, the King using a chapel in the abbey to talk about life&#8217;s &#8220;pilgrimage&#8221; and the lessons for current times.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">In front of Christmas trees originally used for the Princess of Wales&#8217;s carol concert at the Abbey, he spoke of the importance of community cohesion and bridging divides.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">&#8220;As I meet people of different faiths, I find it enormously encouraging to hear how much we have in common,&#8221; said the King, speaking under the chapel&#8217;s famous vaulted ceiling.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">&#8220;With the great diversity of our communities we can find the strength to ensure that right triumphs over wrong.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">He praised the wartime generation&#8217;s &#8220;courage and sacrifice&#8221; and their togetherness in the face of adversity, with the broadcast showing pictures of this year&#8217;s commemorations marking 80 years since the end of World War Two in Europe and the Far East.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">&#8220;These are the values which have shaped our country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">&#8220;As we hear of division, both at home and abroad, they are the values of which we must never lose sight,&#8221; said the King.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 gXrNRM\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"sc-5340b511-1 cMIbKV\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Tears-flowers-and-silence-in-Bondi-and-Streetings-fury.png?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 gUePlo hide-when-no-script\" aria-label=\"image unavailable\"\/><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/ebd2\/live\/9633bcd0-e1a2-11f0-b650-ab4669d57967.jpg.webp 240w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/ebd2\/live\/9633bcd0-e1a2-11f0-b650-ab4669d57967.jpg.webp 320w,https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Kings-Christmas-message-urges-communities-to-pull-together-in-divided.webp.webp 480w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/640\/cpsprodpb\/ebd2\/live\/9633bcd0-e1a2-11f0-b650-ab4669d57967.jpg.webp 640w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/ebd2\/live\/9633bcd0-e1a2-11f0-b650-ab4669d57967.jpg.webp 800w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/ebd2\/live\/9633bcd0-e1a2-11f0-b650-ab4669d57967.jpg.webp 1024w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1536\/cpsprodpb\/ebd2\/live\/9633bcd0-e1a2-11f0-b650-ab4669d57967.jpg.webp 1536w\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Kings-Christmas-message-urges-communities-to-pull-together-in-divided.webp.webp?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"Getty Images Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey, with a high vaulted ceiling and colourful heraldic flags \" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA\"\/><span class=\"sc-5340b511-2 jVqbAn\">Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"sc-536eff7b-0 gnQokQ\">The setting for this year&#8217;s speech was the Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 dPVOKT\">\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">There was praise too for the heroic actions of those caught up in violent incidents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">&#8220;Individuals and communities have displayed spontaneous bravery, instinctively placing themselves in harm&#8217;s way to defend others,&#8221; said the King.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">His speech was accompanied by images from Bondi Beach in Australia, where earlier this month bystanders intervened against a gun attack on a Jewish community event.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">There were also pictures of the King at a synagogue in Manchester, where he met members of the congregation who had tried to stop an attacker.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">As an example of building bridges between religious leaders, the broadcast showed this year&#8217;s state visit to the Vatican, with the King speaking of the &#8220;historic moment of spiritual unity&#8221; when he prayed with Pope Leo.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">The King reflected on the Christmas story, describing Jesus, Mary and Joseph as a &#8220;homeless&#8221; family, and saying their message was about &#8220;peace and reconciliation&#8221; and represented a &#8220;prayer for our times&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 gXrNRM\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"sc-5340b511-1 cMIbKV\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Tears-flowers-and-silence-in-Bondi-and-Streetings-fury.png?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 gUePlo hide-when-no-script\" aria-label=\"image unavailable\"\/><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/e443\/live\/a2f5b860-e193-11f0-b312-37cd4d800cec.jpg.webp 240w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/e443\/live\/a2f5b860-e193-11f0-b312-37cd4d800cec.jpg.webp 320w,https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766676600_58_Kings-Christmas-message-urges-communities-to-pull-together-in-divided.webp.webp 480w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/640\/cpsprodpb\/e443\/live\/a2f5b860-e193-11f0-b312-37cd4d800cec.jpg.webp 640w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/e443\/live\/a2f5b860-e193-11f0-b312-37cd4d800cec.jpg.webp 800w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/e443\/live\/a2f5b860-e193-11f0-b312-37cd4d800cec.jpg.webp 1024w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1536\/cpsprodpb\/e443\/live\/a2f5b860-e193-11f0-b312-37cd4d800cec.jpg.webp 1536w\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766676600_58_Kings-Christmas-message-urges-communities-to-pull-together-in-divided.webp.webp?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"PA Media King Charles in front of Christmas trees in Westminster Abbey which were used for the Princess of Wales's carol concert\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA\"\/><span class=\"sc-5340b511-2 jVqbAn\">PA Media<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"sc-536eff7b-0 gnQokQ\">The King re-used the Christmas trees from Catherine&#8217;s carol concert<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 dPVOKT\">\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">It was a Christmas message that did not dwell on any of the King&#8217;s personal challenges.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">There was no reference to his health, after he recently recorded a video message saying there was &#8220;good news&#8221; that his cancer treatment would be reduced next year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">There were no references to his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his titles this year, in the speech.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 dPVOKT\">\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">The accompanying film focused on the working royals, including Prince William and Catherine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">There were pictures of Prince George on his first visit to the Passage homelessness charity, where he went with his father Prince William last week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">The King has been a strong supporter of Ukraine since Russia&#8217;s invasion and there was a symbolic sign of this with the broadcast including the Carol of the Bells, a Ukrainian carol sung by the Songs for Ukraine Chorus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-9a00e533-0 eZyhnA\">Many members of the choir are in the UK because of the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-3b6b161a-0 GunZh\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"sc-5340b511-1 cMIbKV\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Tears-flowers-and-silence-in-Bondi-and-Streetings-fury.png?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 gUePlo hide-when-no-script\" aria-label=\"image unavailable\"\/><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/ef34\/live\/a99f61b0-109d-11f0-b234-07dc7691c360.png.webp 240w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/ef34\/live\/a99f61b0-109d-11f0-b234-07dc7691c360.png.webp 320w,https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761013114_255_Palace-likely-to-face-questions-about-what-it-knew-in.webp.webp 480w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/640\/cpsprodpb\/ef34\/live\/a99f61b0-109d-11f0-b234-07dc7691c360.png.webp 640w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/ef34\/live\/a99f61b0-109d-11f0-b234-07dc7691c360.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/ef34\/live\/a99f61b0-109d-11f0-b234-07dc7691c360.png.webp 1024w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1536\/cpsprodpb\/ef34\/live\/a99f61b0-109d-11f0-b234-07dc7691c360.png.webp 1536w\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761013114_255_Palace-likely-to-face-questions-about-what-it-knew-in.webp.webp?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Thin, purple banner promoting the Royal Watch newsletter with text saying, \u201cInsider stories and expert analysis in your inbox every week\u201d. There is also a graphic of a fleur-de-lis in white. \" class=\"sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n#Kings #Christmas #message #urges #communities #pull #divided #world<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sean CoughlanRoyal correspondent King Charles: &#8216;We can find the strength to ensure that right triumphs over wrong&#8217; The King&#8217;s Christmas&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45881,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mzansi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45880"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45880\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45882,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45880\/revisions\/45882"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}