The Queen's major record King Charles could fail to live up to this Christmas

The Queen's major record might not be carried on by King Charles in his first Christmas as monarch

The Queen's major record - King Charles and the Queen
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Queen's major record that she broke last Christmas could be one that King Charles fails to live up to this year.


Following the death of the Queen at Balmoral Castle in September 2022, King Charles took the throne as the next monarch in line, beginning a new era for the royal family. 

And with his new role as sovereign comes plenty of responsibilities once held by his mother, who celebrated 70-years as Queen months before passing away. 

One of the Queen's most iconic moments of each year was always her Christmas Day speech, during which she gave an annual address to the nation on December 25th, with the message first being televised instead of broadcast on the radio in 1957. 

Her Majesty's final Christmas speech was last year in 2021, with the moving moment breaking the record of being the most watched broadcast on television that Christmas, with over 9 million viewers tuning in to watch as she marked her first festive period since the death of Prince Philip in April of that year. 

The Queen's major record

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Queen's final Christmas speech was watched by 7.4 million viewers on the BBC and 1.7 million viewers on ITV.

But with King Charles preparing for The Firm's first Christmas at Sandringham with the Queen missing, the former Prince of Wales may fail to rake in big numbers when it comes to viewers tuning in as he fills his mother's shoes for the Christmas broadcast. 

While millions of royal fans will be keen to see Charles take on the honor for the first time, the King may not be set to attract the same levels of festive popularity as the Queen, who was adored by the nation for decades. 

The Queen's major record

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Royal experts also predict that royal family yuletide traditions may differ this year, with the loss of Her Majesty leaving an empty seat at the Christmas dinner table.

"It’ll be the first time since all the turmoil following her death that the royals will stop for a moment and, as a family, reflect and raise a glass to her," journalist Jennie Bond said. 

Speaking to OK! about Christmas without the Queen, she poignantly added, "She leaves a massive hole in their lives and that empty seat, once occupied by the Queen, will now presumably be occupied by King Charles."

Caitlin Elliott
News Editor

Caitlin is News Editor for woman&home, covering all things royal, celeb, fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Caitlin started on local papers and titles such as Cosmopolitan, Now, Reveal and Take a Break while studying for her Multimedia Journalism degree. She also worked in Fashion PR as a Press Assistant for Arcadia's Topshop before becoming a part of the Now team. Caitlin went on to add the likes of Woman, GoodtoKnow, WhatToWatch and woman&home to her writing repertoire before moving on to her current role.