It has reportedly been claimed that King Charles and the royal family are “taking tips from Harry and Meghan” in their “Hollywood approach” to their online presence. The King featured in a preview video released by Buckingham Palace ahead of the annual broadcast on Christmas day.
Charles was seen adjusting his tie and preparing his script in a rare glimpse into the making of the speech. Royal editor at the Mail on Sunday Charlotte Griffiths told GB News that the monarch appeared “nervous” and “needing stability” in the footage.
Talking about the preview, Griffiths told the People’s Channel, “He’s adjusting his tie, he’s got his hand on a plinth, almost like stability. And then he kind of he looks incredibly serious just before the camera starts rolling. So I find it really interesting.”
‘I think it saves him from the dissection that we all do after the Christmas message’
On being asked if she believes the royal family is becoming more “Hollywood” in their approach, Griffiths agreed and said, “They are getting more media savvy, we saw that earlier in the year with Catherine’s video revealing about her chemotherapy – that was quite Hollywood-ised. Obviously they’re just they’re really starting to learn the ways, possibly even from California – maybe they’re taking tips from Meghan and Harry.”
Griffiths also shared her “theory” on why the King has decided to broadcast his speech from the Fitzrovia Chapel instead of a royal residence. She suggested that the step could be a way to “minimise scrutiny” from royal fans.
“I’ve got a theory about why he’s doing it at the chapel, as well as the fact that it’s obviously got its medical associations,” Griffiths said. “I think it saves him from the dissection that we all do after the Christmas message, which is seeing who is in the photos in the background.”
She added, “In previous years, royal watchers like myself have watched really keenly to see if Harry’s in there, if Andrew’s in there, and if people are out of favour, their photos get removed from the background when it’s at a royal residence. So with this one, obviously, you wouldn’t have photos of your family lying around in a chapel, so he’s kind of escaped that one for us.”
Griffiths was also asked if she thinks the decision to break the 14-year tradition will “change again next year. “No, I think it’s a bit of a one off,” she said.
She added, “The last one was 14 years ago – I think the Queen did it from an army barracks, because she wants to send a message about the servicemen. And it has been done from the Royal Albert Hall as well. So every now and again, it looks like maybe every 15 years or so, I’m guessing, if there’s a really poignant message to share, they’ll choose a different place to have it in.”
