Together at Christmas Returns, VR for the King’s Message, and an Alternative Address from Jimmy Kimmel

0:03 Calarogus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace intrigue Ga. I'm your host, Mark Frances. Royal Carols Together at Christmas returns to ITV tonight at twenty five past seven, with the Princess of Wales once again hosting the festive service in Westminster Abbey. Now in its fifth year, the concert has become a staple of the Royal Christmas calendar since Catherine first launched it in twenty twenty. This year's theme focuses on love in all its forms, celebrating people across the United Kingdom who are strengthening their communities through kindness and passion. Around sixteen hundred guests connected to those acts of service and care will fill Westminster Abbey, alongside members of the Royal Family and a number of well known faces.

0:49 The service features the Westminster Abbey Choir with special performances and readings from Hannah Waddingham, Dan Smith, Kate Winslet and chivertel A gear four guests also shares personal stories highlighting efforts to build a more connected and supportive society. Reflecting the Princess of Wales's long standing focus on community well being and human connection. The Royal family's tradition of opening Christmas presents on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Morning, has its roots in German custom and centuries of royal history, though it is not universally loved by all members of the modern family. The practice dates back to seventeen fourteen, when King George the First, the first German born monarch of Great Britain, ascended the throne. Opening gifts on December twenty four as a long standing German tradition, and George the First brought the custom with him to Britain. The family's German ties were later reinforced when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, who was born in what is now modern day Germany. Traditionally, the ritual takes place at dusk on Christmas Eve, when family members gather around the tree. In the German custom, the Christkin or Christ Child is said to deliver the presence while children wait outside the room.

1:57 Bell has rung to signal their return, Carols are sung and the opening of gifts begins. The tradition has continued throughout generations of the royal family and was a particular favorite of Queen Elizabeth. According to a source quoted by the Daily Beast. The late Queen appreciated the custom because she disliked extravagance and overt expressions of consumerism, and preferred Christmas Day itself to retain a more sacred tone. Not everyone in the family is said to share the Late Queen's fondness for the custom. According to an insider, Kate has reportedly found the Christmas Eve present opening tradition weird. The source claimed it is definitely going to be got rid of. When women and Kate are officially running things. You can bet your bottom dollar they will be doing proper presents for each other and the kids there on Christmas Day. One of the most enduring rituals on Christmas Day itself is sitting down to watch the King's Christmas Message.

2:49 For the first time, viewers of the Royal Christmas Broadcast will be able to watch the message in virtual reality, either from the setting of a luxury wooden lodge or in a full cinema style environment, creating what has been described as a more immersive viewing experience. The broadcast will be available using the matter Quest three virtual reality headset, and insider said the move reflects a long standing willingness to adapt to changing technology, explaining we have a great tradition of embracing new technologies from the very start of the Royal Christmas Message and are always looking to reach out to new audiences. Despite the use of cutting edge technology for the broadcast, King Charles the Third is said to be selective in his personal use of technology. Reports suggest he does not own a mobile phone, but regularly uses dice and air purifying fans, and is known to enjoy using Zoom, which he relied on heavily during the COVID lockdown. Over the decades, the message has often reflected technological change. In nineteen fifty seven, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it was televised for the first time. In twenty twelve to mark her Diamond Jubilee, the address was recorded in three dimensions. At the time, the Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said, we wanted to do something a bit different and special in this jubilee year, so doing it for the first time in three d seemed a good thing technology wise to do. The Queen absolutely agreed straight away.

4:09 There was no need for convincing it all. She was absolutely ready to embrace something new in this year. The Royal Christmas Broadcast is a tradition that has spanned more than ninety years and has been delivered by four generations of monarchs. The message is typically a short address in which the reigning monarch reflects on the past year, comments on current events, and speaks about the meaning of Christmas. The tradition began on Christmas Day in nineteen thirty two, when King George the Fifth addressed the nation and the British Empire and a live radio broadcast from Sandringham. The speech, written by author Rudyard Kipling, was transmitted on what later became the BBC World Service. From that point, the Christmas Message became an annual fixture. The broadcast entered a new era in nineteen fifty seven when Queen Elizabeth I delivered the first televised Christmas Message, five years after ascending the throne.

4:57 Over the course of her reign, she gave sixty three televised Christmas addresses, during which the format evolved from black and white to colour television. Originally delivered live, the message has usually been pre recorded since nineteen sixty. This allowed recordings to be distributed around the world in advance, so Commonwealth countries could air the broadcast at a suitable local time on Christmas Day. The message typically lasts around ten minutes. While Bridgid Kipling wrote the very first address, it is widely understood that modern Christmas messages are written by the monarch with support from close advisors and members of the royal household. King Charles the Third delivered his first Christmas broadcast in twenty twenty two, shortly after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth I. That message paid tribute to life and service and acknowledge to those experience grief and loss.

5:41 The King's Christmas Message is usually broadcast at three o'clock in the afternoon on December twenty fifth. Over the years, recordings have taken place at royal residences including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Sandringham, continuing a tradition designed to unite the monarch with people at home and across the world. On Christmas Day, we'll have the message for you in this feed tomorrow afternoon. We'll be taking the morning off for Christmas More in just a moment. Princess Eugenie has been accused of delivering a subtle but stinging snub to Kate Middleton during her first Sandringhand Christmas. According to a body language expert who analyzed footage from the Christmas State Church walk in twenty eleven, the moment took place as the Royal family exited Saint Mary Magdalene Church, shortly after Kate married Prince William and made her debut at the Norfolk State. Body language specialist Judy James told The Daily Mail that Keith appeared quietly wounded when Princess Eugenie seemingly pushed past her without acknowledgment. Video footage shows Kate glancing towards Eugenie and what James described as an attempt to engage, before Eugenie moved between Kate and William without any visible interaction.

6:49 James said, was this really a case of move over blue blood coming through? These are public and photographic moments in the royal calendar. You don't just push pass because you think you left your heated role turned on at home. Whatever. Royal author Katie Nichols previously written that Kate was given formal guidance on Royal protocol the ahead of a first Sandringham Christmas, including a manual explaining the order of precedence and the requirement to Curtsey to Blood Royals. When not accompanied by William Jimmy Kimmel is set to deliver an alternative Christmas message to audiences in the United Kingdom, using the broadcast to warn about threats to free speech and to criticize the political climate under Donald Trump. Kimmel, whose late night television program was briefly taken off the air earlier this year following political pressure, will appear on Channel four on Christmas Day. In the speech, he is expected to draw parallels between the first year of Trump's second administration and the early stages of authoritarianism. At one point, he will remark, from a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year. The message is positioned as a defense of press freedom and open expression, with Kimmel cautioning that such freedoms can disappear quickly if not actively protected.

8:00 His own experience earlier this year is central to the address. In September, the show was suspended after he accused Trump's political movement of exploiting the killing of Charlie Kirk. Trump publicly welcomed the decision, which followed pressure placed on broadcast to ABC and its parent company, Disney. The suspension prompted an immediate backlash from viewers, fellow television hosts, and free speech advocates, and the show returned to air within days. In the Christmas broadcast, Kimmel is expected to acknowledge those who spoke out on his Behalf, a Channel four inside has said he says the reason that he is back on the air is because people spoke out and people protested. Kimmel echoed those sentiments during his final monologue of the year on his own program, telling viewers on behalf of all of us at the show, I just want to say that we appreciate your support, your enthusiasm, and not just for watching this year. You literally pulled us out of a hole, and we cannot thank you enough. He also stressed the importance of international audiences understanding that not all Americans support the current administration, saying, it is important that we as Americans that our friends in other countries know that a lot of us are not okay with what is happening. There is still much more good in this country than bad, and we hope that you will bear with us during this extended psychotic episode that we're in the middle of. Kimmel's alternative Christmas message will there at five forty five pm on Christmas Day, shortly after the King's traditional Christmas broadcast. A Channel four spokesperson said, Donald Trump's return to the White House and wide ranging impact on the world has been the story of twenty twenty five, and it would be hard to think of a better person to address it than Jimmy Kimmel, who

9:31 has found himself on the front line of America's battle of a free speech. Channel four has aired alternative Christmas messages for more than three decades, often featuring controversial or unexpected speakers. Past contributors have included My Mood, Armored Dinnerjad Edward Snowden, the fictional character Marge Simpson, and Quentin Crisp and they have it. If you like to email as addresses the palatsindrigg at gmail dot com, please follows on Spotify, Apple the app of your choice, check us out on Facebook, Instagram and leave us a nice review from jo in the Show and Mike Francis. My thanks to John McDermott, this Palace Intrigue and good terms mm HM