'Christmas is a particularly poignant time for all of us who have lost loved ones,' Charles said. 'We feel their absence ... and remember them in each cherished tradition.'
Speaking over video footage of food banks and other charity work, Charles expressed sympathy for "those at home finding ways to pay their bills and keep their families fed and warm."
The six-minute message concluded with an appeal to heed "the everlasting light" which, Charles said, was a key aspect of Elizabeth’s faith in God and belief in people. The king made no reference to the recent clamor over this month's Netflix documentary series about the acrimonious split from the royal family that accompanied the decision of his son Prince Harry and daughter-in-law Meghan to step back from royal duties and move across the Atlantic Ocean.
The king and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, led family members to a service at St. Mary Magdalene Church. They included Prince William, Charles' older son and heir to the throne, and William's wife, Kate, and the couple's three children, Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4.
After the family entered the church, congregants sang "God Save the King" followed by the Christmas hymn "O Come, All Ye Faithful."
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