King Charles Shows Strength After Prince Harry and Meghan Bombshell, Experts Claim

It has been a tumultuous year for King Charles, to say the least. Not only did he lose his beloved mother, Queen Elizabeth, just a year after his father, Prince Philip, died, but he also started the most important job of his life as the King of the United Kingdom. Top it off, he has been dealing with a substantial personal and professional problem: His son, Prince Harry, and daughter-in-law, Meghan Markle's media blitz, which has consisted of several bombshell interviews, a docuseries, and the upcoming publication of a tell-all book – none of which portray himself and other family members in a positive light. Yesterday during his Christmas address, he showed a sign of stability by keeping to traditions. 

Royal commentator Christopher Andersen told Daily Express that King Charles is a person who "clings to tradition," and what better time to do so than Christmas? This year, facing a "tricky transitional period," he will maintain stability by celebrating the holidays at Sandringham. 

"To at least maintain the illusion of continuity and stability, Charles clings to tradition whenever he can," Andersen continued. "Christmas at Sandringham is one of those traditions."

The King remembered his mother at the start of his Christmas Day speech. "I am standing here in this exquisite Chapel of St George at Windsor Castle, so close to where my beloved mother, the late Queen, is laid to rest with my dear father," he said. "I am reminded of the deeply touching letters, cards and messages which so many of you have sent my wife and myself and I cannot thank you enough for the love and sympathy you have shown our whole family."

He continued: "Christmas is a particularly poignant time for all of us who have lost loved ones. We feel their absence at every familiar turn of the season and remember them in each cherished tradition. In the much-loved carol O Little Town Of Bethlehem we sing of how 'in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light.' My mother's belief in the power of that light was an essential part of her faith in God, but also her faith in people and it is one which I share with my whole heart. It is a belief in the extraordinary ability of each person to touch, with goodness and compassion, the lives of others, and to shine a light in the world around them."

There was another topic the King didn't mention: His younger son and his wife. "By not even acknowledging Harry and Meghan, Charles rose above the fray to focus on the nation as a whole during his Christmas address," The Telegraph wrote. Many experts were wondering what would and should be the king's reaction to the couple's latest revelations aired in Netflix's Harry & Meghan docuseries. The answer was silence.

"The message was clear – the Royal family was getting on with the job in hand and had no time nor inclination to respond to this unseemly airing of dirty laundry," The Telegraph commented. "The King took the same approach to his Christmas message, opting to focus on the good work not only conducted by his family but, perhaps more importantly, by the nation as a whole."

He specified a few of the "steady stream of cringe-making scandals" the King has been forced to deal with during his short reign, including dealing with the racist comments made by Lady Susan Hussey to charity leader Ngozi Fulani at a Buckingham Palace event. And, of course, the "Sussexes' ongoing barrage of headline-making accusations." Additionally, there was also the  issue of "selling the public on the notion of Camilla as Queen Consort."

Last week, Buckingham Palace confirmed that King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla would spend Christmas at Sandringham and would attend the morning service at St Mary Magdalene Church, per tradition. They had been joined by other family members.