The delivery of an annual Christmas speech by a reigning monarch is a UK tradition celebrated for many decades. In 2022, King Charles III gave the speech for the first time, and he’ll be addressing the nation once again this afternoon.
Earlier this month, he made headlines by sharing his own health journey during Channel 4’s Stand Up To Cancer event. He may also pay tribute to the Duchess of Kent, who passed in September, and put out a plea for unity and peace during times of conflict.
Find out how to watch King Charles’ speech in the UK and abroad.
When is the King’s Christmas Speech this year?
The King’s Speech will be broadcast today Christmas Day (Wednesday, 25 December 2025) at 3pm GMT, and it will last roughly ten minutes.
How to watch the King’s Christmas Speech on TV
In the UK, the King’s Royal Christmas Message, as it is officially called, is broadcast on BBC One, BBC Two and ITV1. It is also broadcast on BBC Radio 4 (92-95FM and 103-105FM).
As ever, the message will be pre-recorded and broadcast to all member countries of the commonwealth.
How to watch the King’s Speech online from anywhere
Shortly after the TV broadcast, you will be able to catch up on the speech over on the official BBC and Royal Family YouTube channels.
You can also stream the King’s speech online as it airs via iPlayer. You can watch in a web browser, or by downloading the app on your phone or tablet.
Using iPlayer is the best way to see the speech live if you’re not in one of the countries where the speech is aired. However, iPlayer is technically only available within the UK.
To get around this limitation you can use a VPN and choose a UK server, which will make it appear that you are in the UK. Not all VPN services unblock iPlayer, but several which do include ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Hidden24.
You can also check out the best Sky Christmas movies & TV for this year.
Author: Weronika de Oliveira, Entertainment Writer, Tech Advisor
Weronika is an Entertainment Writer at Tech Advisor, where she covers topics related to TV shows, streaming, and movies. With an MA degree in Film Studies, her areas of expertise range from classical and postmodern cinema to contemporary films, series, and pop culture.