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King Charles' Christmas message looks a little different this year.

King Charles has broken from tradition with his second annual Christmas message.

The royal's yearly broadcast, which airs every Christmas Day in England, has been an ongoing tradition since the 1930s and continued during his mother, Queen Elizabeth II's reign.

This year, he's given his speech a sustainable update and a delivered plea for people to be kinder.

Watch a snippet of King Charles' Christmas Message. Post continues after video. 

Charles and other members of the royal family gathered at their estate in Sandringham for their traditional holiday celebration as per usual, but for his address, King Charles stood beside a living tree for the first time ever, marking his ongoing environmental efforts.

Instead of sitting at his desk, the royal stood near the tree, which according to Buckingham Palace, is decorated with "natural and sustainable decorations", with some highlights including hand-turned wood, pinecones, brown glass, dried oranges and paper.

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Now that the broadcast is done and dusted, the tree will be replanted, making for a sustainable 2023 Chrissy address.

On Monday, his message was broadcast throughout the UK and other Commonwealth nations as the royal remembered "those who are no longer with us" and praised "those whose work of caring for others continues, even on this special day".

"Over this past year my heart has been warmed by countless examples of the imaginative ways in which people are caring for one another – going the extra mile to help those around them simply because they know it is the right thing to do," he said.

In his second Christmas message since his reign began, King Charles also paid tribute to volunteers, charity workers and people working over the holidays in roles caring for others.

"This is all the more important at a time of real hardship for many, when we need to build on existing ways to support others less fortunate than ourselves," he said.

He did not mention Prince Harry or his wife Meghan Markle, who reportedly "inflamed" tensions with the release of Harry's memoir Spare earlier this year. And while the Queen was known for littering her desk with family photos during her addresses, there was a notable absence of any family references in photo form from Charles this year. 

The 75-year-old monarch did, however, praise others for continuing to "protect the earth", saying: "We care for the earth for the sake of our children's children.

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"... During my lifetime I have been so pleased to see a growing awareness of how we must protect the earth and our natural world as the one home which we all share," he continued.

The King also alluded to the ongoing wars in both Gaza and Ukraine, adding: "At a time of increasingly tragic conflict around the world, I pray that we can also do all in our power to protect each other."

To finish off his Christmas message, King Charles said that kindness and giving are more relevant now than ever. 

"The words of Jesus seem more than ever relevant: 'Do to others as you would have them do to you,'" he said. "Such values are universal, drawing together our Abrahamic family of religions, and other belief systems, across the Commonwealth and wider world.

"They remind us to imagine ourselves in the shoes of our neighbours and to seek their good as we would our own.

"So on this Christmas Day, my heart and my thanks go to all who are serving one another; all who are caring for our common home; and all who see and seek the good of others, not least the friend we do not yet know. In this way, we bring out the best in ourselves."

Feature Image: The Royal Family Channel.

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