The King delivers his annual Christmas Day speech on Wednesday.

King Charles sent a clear message during this annual Christmas Day speech after leaving Prince Harry and Prince Andrew out of his address.

The pre-recorded message was filmed at Fitzrovia Chapel of the former Middlesex Hospital in London, and in it, the 76-year-old spoke of his pride at how communities around the UK responded to riots.

He also paid tribute to the medical staff that has looked after him and Kate Middleton during their respective cancer treatments.

While the speech featured snippets of Prince William and the rest of the royal family, there was no mention of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Prince Andrew.

Royal expert and historian Dr. Tessa Dunlop spoke on the omission, noting that Charles has “clearly made up his mind”.

“Lest we are in any doubt, the clever film that accompanied this speech, underscored the importance of the King’s royal A-Team, on hand to deliver what Charles considers to be an alternative to global killing: a listening and understanding mission that leads to actions for the good of all,” she told The Mirror.

“As well as a replay of the King’s famous hug with the New Zealand women’s rugby team, there was footage of Kate at Trooping the Colour, Camilla in Scotland and Australia, William serving food to the homeless and, of course, those royal stalwarts, Princess Anne and the Edinburghs.

“Crucially, also-rans Princes Andrew and Harry were nowhere to be seen. The King has clearly made up his mind about how to ‘act for the good of all’, choosing to focus on family strengths, not weaknesses, to shore up a nation (and a world) for a difficult year ahead.”

Clear signal from Charles

While some noted that Harry and Andrew have been left out of the annual address for some years, as Queen Elizabeth omitted the pair in 2019, this year’s move is viewed as more significant.

Royal author Robert Hardman said the decision to film the speech outside of royal grounds may have spared him from the usual analysis of the photos on display.

The background of the address often sparks debate, as pictures of Harry and Meghan haven’t been included. This year the King opted to only have a Christmas tree, lights and the scene of the chapel.

“By avoiding a royal desk or sitting room, the King has also avoided any micro-analysis of whichever royal photographs and portraits are in shot, and thus hinting at who is (or is not) in royal favour. The Fitzrovia Chapel reveals nothing more tantalising than a Christmas tree decorated with ‘sustainable’ decorations,” Herdman told the Daily Mail.