King Charles III led his family to church on foot on Thursday (December 25, 2025), hours before his annual Christmas Day speech to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth was expected to focus on the theme of pilgrimage.
Charles and Queen Camilla, along with the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, and their children, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte, and extended family walked to St. Mary Magdalene Church on the king's private Sandringham Estate.
The location is about 100 miles north of London, where Charles recorded the address from Westminster Abbey, the landmark known for the lavish coronations and royal weddings it has hosted for more than 1,000 years.
The abbey is also the focus of an annual pilgrimage to the tomb of Edward the Confessor, which lies at the heart of the church. Edward, a monk-like monarch, was canonized as a saint in 1161.
The monarch’s annual holiday message is watched by millions of people in the U.K. and across the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 56 independent nations, most of which have historic ties to Britain. The prerecorded speech is broadcast at 3 p.m., when many families are enjoying their traditional Christmas lunch.
