King Charles III, who has been diagnosed with cancer, has chosen an old hospital chapel for his Christmas address, breaking with tradition which calls for the monarch to deliver the Christmas message from the palace or one of the royal residences, it has been announced today Buckingham Palace.

This year has been difficult for the British royal family, as in February it was announced that King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer and in March the same happened with Princess Kate.

King Charles’ Christmas message will be filmed at Fitzrovia Chapel in central London and broadcast on Sky News on Wednesday at 15:00 (local time, 17:00 in Greece).

This Byzantine-style church was once the chapel of the former Middlesex Hospital, where patients, doctors and nursing staff sought solace and prayed. Today it is a cultural space that hosts events and is open to the public.

The 76-year-old King Charles gradually resumed his public appearances in April while he continues treatment for the cancer, the form of which has not been revealed.

His daughter-in-law, Kate, Princess of Wales, announced in September that she had completed chemotherapy.

The last time the standard Christmas address was delivered outside a royal residence was in 2006, when Charles III’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, chose London’s Southwark Cathedral.

Last year, King Charles filmed his Christmas speech at Buckingham Palace, expressing his environmental concerns and sending a message of peace.