King Charles III calls for ‘digital detox’ in Christmas message

After all the turmoil he’s been through this year, King Henry III. The only thing Charles wants for Christmas is a “digital detox”.

The British royal family gathered around the television after stepping out for their annual Christmas Day church outing. The monarch’s Christmas broadcast.

The speech was filmed at the Lady Chapel of Westminster Abbey in London earlier this month. people magazine reported.

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The first royal Christmas speech was made by King George V in 1932.

Charles described how “our world is spinning faster” and argued that this makes it more important than ever for us to slow down, get to know our neighbors and make new friends. Borrowing a phrase from TS Eliot, he noted that this pause can quiet our minds and give us “the still point of the whirling world.”

A Buckingham Palace spokesman later clarified that Charles had hinted at going on a “digital detox”.

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“In referencing this beautiful phrase about the ‘still point of the rotating world’ at a time when, as he puts it, it ‘spins faster and faster’, His Majesty keeps in mind the impact that new technologies can have on society and how they can affect both social cohesion and general well-being, especially for young people,” the representative said. Daily Mail.

King III. Charles arrives for the parade at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, England, on December 19, 2025. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

“I think Her Majesty hopes that Christmas, if nothing else, can offer a moment when people can try a ‘digital detox’ to focus more on our friendships, families and faith, for those who practice it,” the representative said. he said.

“The King hopes that in this way our minds will find greater peace, our spirits will be renewed, and our communities will be strengthened.”

Queen Camilla and King Charles III attend Christmas morning service at Sandringham on December 25, 2025. (Jordan Peck/Getty Images)

For the king, sitting out the relentless media scrutiny surrounding certain family members could be a measure of long-sought peace of mind.

Charles also spoke candidly about “reconciliation” as his family continues to cope with the challenges and turmoil of the past year.

On October 30, Charles stripped his disgraced brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of the title of prince, amid growing scrutiny over the former royal’s ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The 65-year-old man and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson have until January 31 to vacate their 30-room mansion, Royal Lodge.

Prince Andrew will marry King Henry III on 30 October 2025. He was formally deprived of his royal titles and honors by Charles. He will no longer be called “Prince Andrew” or “His Royal Highness” and will instead be referred to as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. (Steve Parsons – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The king also has a strained relationship with his younger son, Prince Harry.

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California. (Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images)

The Duke of Sussex and his wife stepped back from senior royals in 2020, citing insufferable intrusions from the British press and a lack of support from the palace.

After moving to California, they aired their grievances in interviews and documentaries. Harry’s 2023 memoir “The Substitute,” which revealed embarrassing details about the House of Windsor, worsened his relationship with the royal family.

Prince Harry’s memoir “The Substitute” was published in 2023. (Vincenzo Izzo/LightRocket via Getty Images)

In September, Harry, 41, was reunited with his father for the first time in 18 months. Their meeting reportedly lasted just under an hour. people magazine It reported that a dispute was ongoing between the duke and the royal family. Sources close to the prince had previously told the press that Charles would not answer his letters or phone calls.

King Charles III is seen arriving at Clarence House in London on September 10, 2025. The monarch had a private tea with her son Prince Harry. (Belinda Jiao/Getty Images)

People shared that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not invited to the family’s Christmas gathering. Instead, they spent the holidays in Montecito with their two young children.

“It seems to me that just as our Lord lived and died, we should value the values ​​of compassion and reconciliation,” the king said.

Sarah Ferguson and her ex-husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor must vacate Royal Lodge by January 31. (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

“This year, I have heard many examples of this, both at home and abroad. These stories of the triumph of courage over adversity give me hope, for our revered military veterans, for selfless humanitarian workers in this century’s most dangerous conflict zones, for individuals and communities exhibiting spontaneous courage and instinctively putting themselves in harm’s way to defend others.”

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King III. Charles attended an arrival ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London on 10 December 2025. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Towards the end of the conversation, Charles talked about reconciliation again.

“… The prayer for peace and reconciliation that rang out in the fields near Bethlehem more than two thousand years ago – ‘to do to others as we would have them do to us’ – still echoes from there and around the world today.”

“This is also a prayer for our times and our communities as we journey through our lives,” he said.

King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender ahead of a state banquet at Windsor Castle on December 3, 2025 in Windsor, England. (Carlos Jasso – Havuz/Getty Images)

Charles avoided directly addressing personal family matters in his speech.

In May, Harry told the BBC he was ready to reconcile, saying: “There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore. I don’t know how much longer Dad has.”

On December 12, Charles, 77, announced in an emotional television speech that doctors had scaled back his cancer treatment plan after receiving a positive response.

Earlier this month, King Charles shared some good news about his cancer diagnosis in an emotional video. (Channel 4 / Bango Studios)

Times of London recently reported that Harry’s hopes of a reconciliation with his father had been damaged by false accusations that the monarch’s aides had leaked details of the meeting in a bid to “sabotage” the relationship.

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Prince Harry told the BBC in May that he was ready to reconcile with his family. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

British royal expert Hilary Fordwich He claimed to Fox News Digital that Charles was “quite surprised and upset” by the news, while The Times reported that the king’s friends said Charles was “disappointed.”

The press has reported that Harry has not spoken to his father since their reunion in September and has lost contact with Prince William and Kate Middleton. A source in London described suggestions that Harry and his father should talk as “ridiculous”.

It is said that Prince Harry and his older brother Prince William are not on good terms. (Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)

A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told Fox News Digital that the report was “purely speculative.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex live in the wealthy coastal city of Montecito with their two young children. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

“We do not comment on the Duke or Duchess’ relationships with their families,” the representative added.

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Papa contributed to this report.