King Charles III giving his annual Christmas address, in which he thanked healthcare workers and spoke about global conflict and building trust in communities.
The address was delivered from the chapel of the former Middlesex Hospital in London, a break from the traditional location of Buckingham Palace.
This is just over ten minutes.
Earlier this
year, as we commemorated the 80th anniversary of D -Day, the Queen and I had the enormous privilege ...of meeting once again the remarkable veterans of that very special generation who gave of themselves so courageously on behalf of us all.
Listening to these once young servicemen and women touched us deeply as they spoke of their comrades drawn from across the Commonwealth who never returned and who now rest peacefully where they made the ultimate sacrifice.
Their example of service and selflessness continues to inspire across the generations.
During previous commemorations, we were able to console ourselves with the thought that these tragic events seldom happen in the modern era.
But on this Christmas Day, we cannot help but think of those for whom the devastating effects of conflict in the Middle East, in Central Europe, in Africa,
And elsewhere pose a daily threat to so many people's lives and livelihoods.
We also think of the humanitarian organizations working tirelessly to bring vital relief.
After all, the gospels speak so vividly of conflict and teach the values with which we can overcome it.
The example that Jesus gave us is timeless and universal.
It is to enter the world of those who suffer, to make a difference to their lives, and so bring hope where there is despair.
As the famous Christmas carol once in Royal David's City reminds us, our Saviour Holy came down to earth from heaven, lived among the poor and mean and lowly,
and transformed the lives of those he met.
Through God's redeeming love.
That is the heart of the Nativity story.
And we can hear its beat in the belief of all the great faiths in the love and mercy of God in times of joy and of suffering, calling us to bring light where there is darkness.
All of us go through some form of suffering at some stage in our life.
We're good to go.
I think?
I think?
I offer special heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who this year have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness and have helped provide the strength,
care and comfort we have needed.
I'm deeply grateful too to all those who have offered us their own kind words of sympathy and encouragement.
On our recent visit to the South Pacific to attend the Commonwealth Summit, I was reminded constantly of the strength which institutions as well as individuals can draw from one another,
and of how diversity of culture, ethnicity and faith provide strength, not weakness.
Across the Commonwealth, we are held together by a willingness to listen to each other.
To learn from one another and to find just how much we have in common.
Because through listening, we learn to respect our differences, to defeat prejudice and to open up new possibilities.
I felt a deep sense of pride here in the United Kingdom when, in response to anger and lawlessness in several towns this summer, communities came together.
Not to repeat these behaviours, but to repair.
To repair not just buildings, but relationships.
And, most importantly, to repair trust by listening and, through understanding, deciding how to act for the good of all.
Again, listening is a recurrent theme of the Nativity story.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, listened to the angel.
Who revealed to her a different future, full of hope for all people.
The message of the angels to the shepherds, that there should be peace on earth, in fact echoes through all faiths and philosophies.
It rings true to this day for people of goodwill across the world.
And so it is with this in mind that I wish you and all those you love A most joyful and peaceful Christmas.
We're good to go.
We're good to go.
Democracy is worth dying for.
Democracy belongs to us all.
We are here in the sanctuary of democracy.
Great responsibilities fall once again to the great democracies.
American democracy is bigger than any one person.
Freedom and democracy must be constantly guarded and protected.
We are still at our core a democracy.
This is also a massive victory for democracy and for freedom.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry was honored with a portrait at the State Department.
Mr. Kerry served as the nation's top diplomat during the second half of the Obama administration.
The ceremony also included current Secretary of State Antony Blinken.