In his first message as the monarch of UK, King Charles thanked the people of his country for their messages of condolences on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who had ruled the country for a period of 70 years before her death.

In his message, the 74-year-old monarch said, “I am reminded of the deeply touching letters, cards and messages which so many of you have sent my wife and myself and I cannot thank you enough for the love and sympathy you have shown our whole family”.

Also Read| Volodymyr Zelensky’s Christmas message to Ukrainians: ‘Freedom comes at a high price’

Regarding what Christmas feels like for people who have recently lost a close one, Charles said, “Christmas is a particularly poignant time for all of us who have lost loved ones. We feel their absence at every familiar turn of the season and remember them in each cherished tradition.”

He also spoke of his mother’s undying faith in god and the people: “In the much-loved carol ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ we sing of how ‘in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light.’ My mother’s belief in the power of that light was an essential part of her faith in God, but also her faith in people – and it is one which I share with my whole heart. It is a belief in the extraordinary ability of each person to touch, with goodness and compassion, the lives of others, and to shine a light in the world around them”.

Also Read| ‘Merry Christmas!’: History and origin of the greeting

The monarch did not forget to address the economic hardships the people of his country are currently going through and the war that looms large on Ukraine, albeit indirectly. He said that the world is currently going through “anxiety” and “hardship”, and that people everywhere are struggling to “keep their families fed and warm.”

A British monarch has been addressing the people of the country on Christmas Day for 90 years. The tradition was started by King George V.