Will Charles Update His Christmas Message? and Why Royal Cards Never Show Bad Weather

A Sky News analysis asks whether King Charles the Third should address Australia’s Bondi Beach attack in his Christmas broadcast — and whether Buckingham Palace can, or will, adjust a message likely recorded earlier in the month.

We then go behind the scenes at Sandringham, where former royal chef Darren McGrady describes Christmas preparations as a “military operation,” from the set menus to the advance team and the army-style transport of provisions.

Plus, why royal Christmas cards almost never feature winter scenes, and how this year’s Wales family photo fits that PR tradition.
 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ah Calorogus Shark Media, Hi and welcome to Palace Intrigue
ga am your host Mark Francis.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
For Sky News. Tessa Dunlop explains Christmas is always frantic,
but as the crowning glory for everything festive and affirming,
it is especially busy for Old King Charles. The Monarch's
seasonal schedule has been relentless, including an advent service at
Westminster Abbey, meetings with heads of state, a family meal
at Buckingham Pallace. In a pre recorded message, when the

(00:33):
Monarch taught us his cancer treatment will be significantly reduced
in the new year. And then there was King charles
announcement in the wake of the devastating anti Semitic attack
on Australia's Bonde Beach last weekend. A man of considerable empathy,
when Charles says he is appalled and sad, and you
know he means it. His Majesty got straight to the
point and condemned the heroics of police, emergency services and

(00:54):
members of the public. A quiet reminder that we have
stronger together and humanity will ultimately outshine hate. But such
was the scale of the horror in Sydney last Sunday,
with at least fifteen innocent people dead and many more injured.
One short thought piece for Australians from their head of
state on the other side of the world feels insufficient.
Fortunate then that Charles has a second chance to reflect

(01:16):
on the fallout from the attack in his Christmas Day message,
but will he. Buckingham Palace has decline to say whether
King Charles has already recorded his Christmas broadcast, refusing to
confirm its contents or whether it has been filmed, and
firmly pushing back against speculation. The Royal Christmas Message began
in nineteen thirty two as a live radio broadcast intended

(01:37):
to bring the monarch closer to people across the nation
and the Commonwealth. It was first televised in nineteen fifty seven,
and by nineteen sixty the message was usually pre recorded,
allowing it to be aired at suitable times around the world,
particularly in countries such as Australia. Since becoming King, Charles
has tended to record this Christmas Message in early December

(01:58):
at locations outside Buckingham, making it likely that this year's
broadcast was already completed before the fatal attack at Bundai
Beach in Australia that has raised questions about how responsive
the message can be to major events and folding close
to Christmas. A Palace source played down suggestions that Christmas
broadcast should directly address breaking news, despite the tradition of

(02:18):
the message reflecting on the year's hardships as well as
its hopes. In nineteen ninety six, Queen Elizabeth the Second
referred with sadness and bewilderment to the mass shootings at
Dunblane in Scotland and Port Arthur in Australia. More recently,
in this twenty twenty three message, King Charles reflected on
shared values during the Israeli Garza conflict, speaking of what
brings together our Abrahamic family of religions. While King Charles

(02:43):
has chosen carefully staged locations for previous broadcasts, including Saint
George's Chapel and the Fitzrovia Chapel, critics say relevance matters
more than setting. They point out that Queen Elizabeth often
delivered her message from a simple room in Buckingham Palace,
relying on words rather than spectacle. As king of multiple
nations in an increasingly unpredictable world, Charles faces a difficult balance.

(03:05):
Supporters argue that if his message needs to be re
recorded to address recent events, then it should be generic
sentiments they say are not enough. There is also a
renewed discussion about royal visibility in Australia. While a return
visit by the King before Christmas is seen as unlikely,
attention has turned to whether Prince William might visit in
the new year. Prime Minister Anthony Aubanese has already extended

(03:25):
an invitation. The late Queen famously said she has to
be seen to be believed, making sixteen trips to Australia
during her reign. Those calling for action argue that honoring
the legacy means showing up, especially in moments of collective grief,
when the monarchy can act as a unifying force. The
Royal family once again will have their traditional Christmas Day
at Sandringham, a custom that has been firmly in place

(03:46):
since the late nineteen eighties. While the public will see
the familiar walk to church on Christmas morning, much of
the festive routine unfolds well out of sight. Former Royal
Chef Darren McGrady, who oversaw many of these holidays, has
described the extraordinary level of planning required behind the scenes.
Speaking on behalf of Smooth Spins Casino, McGrady said that
there was never room for error during the festive period.

(04:08):
Nothing was allowed to go wrong, he shared. He explained
that the Palace kitchens relied on a set menu that
remained unchanged each year, down to the precise recipes. The
consistency meant preparations could begin far in advance. All the
food came in way ahead of time, even down to
the fruit bowls on the tables. He said. We would
pick the perfect pairs that would just ripen, perfect, just beautiful.

(04:29):
Nothing at all went wrong. Everything was perfectly planned and
laid out. It was business as usual. McGrady added that
the transfer of provisions to Sandringham was as meticulous as
the cooking itself, noting that one particular Royal film portrayed
the process accurately. If you've seen the movie Spencer, you'll
see the army deliver all the food in boxes and hampers,

(04:50):
which is what happened, he said. Several days before Christmas,
we'd send in an advanced team to Standringham. They would
open up the kitchen and clean it so it was spotless.
They would be there for the arriv to check all
of the food. The Norfolk turkeys would come in from
the local butcher, all the local fish would come in.
Describing the preparations as a military operation was not an
exaggeration when it came to the equipment and Christmas puddings,

(05:12):
cakes and all of that that was packed carefully and
driven up in army transportation. He explained. The soldiers would
bring it all into the kitchens, so we were all
prepared for it. Every year. It was like a military operation,
so nothing went wrong. Before the fire at Windsor Castle
in nineteen ninety two, the guest list for Christmas lunch
was considerably larger and often included members of the extended family.

(05:33):
Back then we would have about thirty people at the
royal table. The Grady recalled, that's because the Gloucesters kent
and everyone was invited. After the fire, it was a
great excuse to cut that down and move into the
Sandringham dining Room, which was much smaller than We only
had sixteen for lunch plus one hundred staff. For more
than a century, British Royal Christmas cards have shared a

(05:54):
furious and consistent detail instead of snowy scenes, winter coats,
or traditional festive backdrops. They almost always feed to the
Royals in bright weather, often photographed months earlier in spring
or summer. According to royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams, the choice
is deliberate. He said the Royal Christmas card is an
important public relations statement, explaining that a warm, sunny image

(06:14):
is intended to project optimism and strength heading into the
new year. He added that if the Royals appeared dressed
for harsh weather, it could be interpreted symbolically, particularly after
a difficult year, and that the message conveyed must be positive.
This week, the Prince and Princess of Wales unveiled their
festive card, showing Prince William and Cape Middleton seated on
grass among daffodils with their three children. The image, taken

(06:36):
in Norfolk by photographer Josh Schinner and believed to date
from April, was shared with the caption wishing everyone a
very Happy Christmas. Fitzwilliams described it as a perfect example
of a Christmas card, saying it uses a rural setting
to convey warmth and goodwill. He noted that while it
is not overly festive, the daffodil filled countryside suggests renewal

(06:56):
and healing, particularly significant given Catherine's public focus on out
a life for children and her emission from cancer. The
same approach appears across the wider royal family. King Charles
and Queen Camella's Christmas card this year features a photograph
taken in April at Villa Wolkonski in Rome during their
state visit to Italy, coinciding with their twenty fifth wedding anniversary.

(07:17):
Fitz Williams said the image echoed the warmth scene in
the Waleses card and was naturally taken in fine weather.
He also suggested that avoiding traditional snowy scenes helps the
royal steer clear of Christmas cliches, creating images that feel
more timeless. Christmas cards are a tradition, and traditions should
periodically be altered if they can become stale. During Queen

(07:37):
Elizabeth the Second's reign, her Christmas cards followed a similar pattern.
Fitz Williams described them as a kaleidoscope of a unique rain,
blending formal and informal moments, almost always photographed in good weather.
He noted one recurring feature across decades bad weather was
absent more Palace in just a Moment. Veteran broadcast to

(07:59):
David Dimmi will be is examining the purpose and power
of the British monarchy in a new three part bb
series titled What's the Monarchy for a project he has
spent the past two years developing. Timblebee, best known for
hosting Question Time, acknowledges that the BBC itself has long
acted as what he calls a royal ringmaster, helping the
monarchy present itself as it wishes to be seen. He

(08:20):
says his fascination lies in the mysticism about monarchy, something
he argues draws in most royal watches. At the heart
of the series is a blunt question what role is
there for our unelected head of state? Or more bluntly,
what is the point of the monarchy? What does the
monarchy serve for? Timblebee even likens the sovereign to the
Wizard and the Wizard of Ours, a figure who appears

(08:40):
powerful but may in reality be hiding behind illusion. He
anchors the series in the late Queen Elizabeth the Second's
own words, no institution should expect to be free from
the scrutiny of those who give it their loyalty and support,
not to mention those who don't. One focus is the
long runn question of royal influence on government. Dimbleby revisits

(09:02):
the release of Charles private letters to ministers, often referred
to as the Black Spider Memos, concluding that while the
then Prince of Wales was not proven to have influenced policy,
he was clearly determined to try. He also challenges the
idea that weekly audiences between the monarch and Prime Minister
are politically meaningless, arguing it would be naive to assume
they have no influence at all. The series also gives

(09:25):
space to Republican arguments, while Republicanism remains a minority view,
Dimblebee notes it is growing and there you have it.
If you'd like to email us addresses the Palace Intrigue
at gmail dot com. You can follow us on Spotify, Apple, Instagram, Facebook,
We're all over the place. I'm Mark Francis my thanks
to John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue and good times