King Charles and the Royal Family are “taking tips from Harry and Meghan” in their “Hollywood approach” to their online presence, it has been claimed.
The monarch featured in a short preview video released by Buckingham Palace on social media, ahead of the historic annual broadcast on Christmas day.
In a rare glimpse into the making of the speech, which has changed location to Fitzrovia Chapel after 14 years of tradition, the King can be seen adjusting his tie and preparing his script.
Speaking to GB News, royal editor at the Mail on Sunday Charlotte Griffiths claimed Charles appeared “nervous” and “needing stability” in the preview footage.
King Charles shared a sneak preview of his Christmas Day address on social media
Instagram / Getty
Delivering her verdict on the preview, Griffiths told the People’s Channel: “I’ve never seen a preview before. It’s only a split second glimpse, but it is really interesting because it shows him looking, I think, quite nervous.
“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.”
When asked if she believes the Royal Family are becoming more “Hollywood” in their approach, Griffiths agreed, stating: “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.”
The King was seen preparing to record his festive speechInstagramSharing her “theory” on why the King has decided to broadcast his speech from the Fitzrovia Chapel rather than a royal residence, Griffiths suggested that the move could be a way to “minimise scrutiny” from eagle-eyed royal fans.
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Griffiths explained: “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.
“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.”
Charlotte Griffiths told GB News that the monarch appeared ‘nervous’ in the video
GB News
When asked if the decision to break a 14-year tradition will “change again next year”, Griffiths admitted: “No, I think it’s a bit of a one off.
“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.”