Sunday, 24 Nov 2024

Mystery over King Charles’s Christmas speech as ITV crew ‘axed’

King Charles' Christmas speech discussed by Russell Myers

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The recording of King Charles’s first Christmas speech is shrouded in mystery after it emerged the BBC was called in to film it following reports ITV was axed. Britons are gearing up to hear the new sovereign deliver his first Christmas address this weekend.

The broadcast was reportedly recorded on Tuesday last week, days before the release of the second half of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s blistering Netflix docu-series.

The content of the address is, as it used to be with Queen Elizabeth II’s speeches, tightly under wraps.

This year, however, Buckingham Palace is also remaining tight-lipped on where the speech was filmed.

Moreover, the Sun wrote, the Palace axed the film crew that had been initially booked to cover the historic event.

While ITV cameras were lined up to capture the address, the BBC was instead called in to make the recording after the original plan was scrapped, the report claimed.

An industry insider told the publication: “It was ITV’s turn but they were cancelled and the BBC called instead. No explanation has been given for the last-minute change.”

Traditionally, the BBC, Sky and ITV take turns to film the yearly speech and then share the footage with the rest of the world’s media.

They work on a rota-based system which changes every two years.

ITV filmed Elizabeth II’s last-ever Christmas broadcast in 2021, and was set to the first-ever televised speech delivered by a British King.

The late Queen carried over the tradition started by King George V in 1932 and inherited by King George VI to deliver a Christmas address from Sandringham via radiowaves.

In 1957, the late Queen embraced the new technology and spoke to Britons and people around the Commonwealth via television for the first time.

Speculation is swirling ahead of the broadcast of King Charles’s address, with royal watchers wondering whether he will abide by the blueprint set by his mother or he will give his own spin to the Christmas speech.

While nothing has been shared so far ahead of the speech, to be released at 3pm on Christmas Day, the King will likely pay tribute to his late mother Elizabeth II.

This year, the record-breaking sovereign, marked her 70th year on the throne and celebrated the milestone during a long bank holiday weekend in early June.

The Queen’s reign ended on September 8, when she died “peacefully” at Balmoral Castle with Charles and Princess Anne at her side.

Buckingham Palace told The Sun it would not comment on its report.

Express.co.uk has also contacted the Palace for comment. ITV and the BBC were also approached for comment. 

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