King Charles' first Christmas sp

2022-12-26

King Charles' first Christmas speech - text in full

King Charles III has given his first Christmas Day message as monarch. Here is the full text of the speech:

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"I am standing here in this exquisite Chapel of St George at Windsor Castle, so close to where my beloved mother, the late Queen, is laid to rest with my dear father.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"This is the essence of our community and the very foundation of our society.

"We see it in the selfless dedication of our Armed Forces and Emergency Services who work tirelessly to keep us all safe, and who performed so magnificently as we mourned the passing of our late Queen.

"We see it in our health and social care professionals, our teachers and indeed all those working in public service, whose skill and commitment are at the heart of our communities.

"And at this time of great anxiety and hardship, be it for those around the world facing conflict, famine or natural disaster, or for those at home finding ways to pay their bills and keep their families fed and warm, we see it in the humanity of people throughout our nations and the Commonwealth who so readily respond to the plight of others.

"I particularly want to pay tribute to all those wonderfully kind people who so generously give food or donations, or that most precious commodity of all, their time, to support those around them in greatest need, together with the many charitable organizations which do such extraordinary work in the most difficult circumstances.

"Our churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and gurdwaras, have once again united in feeding the hungry, providing love and support throughout the year.

"Such heartfelt solidarity is the most inspiring expression of loving our neighbour as our self.

"The Prince and Princess of Wales recently visited Wales, shining a light on practical examples of this community spirit.

"Some years ago, I was able to fulfil a life-long wish to visit Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity.

"There, I went down into the Chapel of the Manger and stood in silent reverence by the Silver Star that is inlaid on the floor and marks the place of our Lord Jesus Christ's birth.

"It meant more to me than I can possibly express to stand on that spot where, as the Bible tells us, 'The light that has come into the world' was born.

"While Christmas is, of course, a Christian celebration, the power of light overcoming darkness is celebrated across the boundaries of faith and belief.

"So, whatever faith you have, or whether you have none, it is in this life-giving light, and with the true humility that lies in our service to others, that I believe we can find hope for the future.

"Let us therefore celebrate it together, and cherish it always.

"With all my heart, I wish each of you a Christmas of peace, happiness and everlasting light."

查理三世国王发表了他作为君主的第一个圣诞节致辞。以下为演讲全文：

“我站在温莎城堡这座精致的圣乔治教堂里，离我亲爱的母亲、已故女王和我亲爱的父亲安息的地方很近。

“我想起了你们中许多人寄给我和我妻子的信件、卡片和信息，我非常感谢你们对我们全家的爱和同情。

“对于我们所有失去亲人的人来说，圣诞节是一个特别痛苦的时刻。

“在每一个熟悉的季节转折点，我们都能感受到他们的缺席，并在每一个珍贵的传统中记住他们。

“在深受喜爱的颂歌 O Little Town O Bethlehem 中，我们歌唱‘在你黑暗的街道上闪耀着永恒的光芒’。

“我母亲相信光的力量是她对上帝信仰的重要组成部分，也是她对人的信仰，这是我全心全意分享的。

“这是一种信念，相信每个人都具有非凡的能力，能够以善良和同情心去触摸他人的生活，并在他们周围的世界中闪耀光芒。

“这是我们社区的本质，也是我们社会的基础。

“我们在我们的武装部队和紧急服务部门的无私奉献中看到了这一点，他们不知疲倦地工作以确保我们所有人的安全，并且在我们哀悼已故女王的逝世时表现得如此出色。

“我们在我们的健康和社会护理专业人员、我们的教师以及所有从事公共服务的人身上看到了这一点，他们的技能和承诺是我们社区的核心。

“在这个极度焦虑和艰难的时刻，无论是对于世界各地面临冲突、饥荒或自然灾害的人们，还是对于那些想方设法支付账单并让家人吃饱和取暖的人来说，我们都在我们国家和英联邦人民的人性，他们如此乐于回应他人的困境。

“我特别要向所有如此慷慨地提供食物或捐赠，或者最宝贵的商品，即他们的时间，以支持他们周围最需要帮助的人的所有非常善良的人，以及许多这样做的慈善组织表示敬意在最困难的情况下做出非凡的工作。

“我们的教堂、犹太教堂、清真寺、寺庙和 gurdwaras 再次联合起来为饥饿的人提供食物，全年提供爱和支持。

“这种由衷的团结是爱邻如己最鼓舞人心的表现。

“威尔士亲王和王妃最近访问了威尔士，展示了这种社区精神的实际例子。

“几年前，我能够实现毕生的愿望，参观伯利恒和圣诞教堂。

“在那里，我走进了马槽教堂，默默地站在镶嵌在地板上的银星旁边，它标志着我们的主耶稣基督诞生的地方。

“对我来说，站在那个地方的意义比我所能表达的要多，正如圣经告诉我们的那样，‘光已经来到世界’诞生了。

“当然，虽然圣诞节是基督教的庆祝活动，但跨越信仰和信念的界限庆祝光明战胜黑暗的力量。

“所以，无论你有什么信仰，或者你没有，正是在这赋予生命的光芒中，以及我们为他人服务时真正的谦逊，我相信我们可以找到未来的希望。

“因此，让我们一起庆祝它，永远珍惜它。

“我衷心祝愿你们每个人都有一个和平、幸福和永恒光明的圣诞节。”