On Thursday, November 13, Kensington Palace announced that Princess Kate will host her fifth annual Together at Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey on December 5. Each year, the Princess of Wales brings members of the Royal Family and people from across the U.K. together to celebrate the spirit of the season, and during next month's service, she'll recognize the recently departed Duchess of Kent with an especially heartfelt touch.
Katharine, the Duchess of Kent, who died at age 92 in September, was married to Queen Elizabeth's cousin, the Duke of Kent, and was a huge supporter of music education. She was so passionate about music, in fact, that she went incognito as a music teacher for years without anyone knowing she was a member of the Royal Family.
To honor her memory, the Princess of Wales is including one thoughtful touch to her carol concert this year. According to Kensington Palace, "Before guests enter the Abbey, they will enjoy music by young performers from Future Talent, a charity co-founded by the Late Duchess of Kent to support musically-gifted children from low-income backgrounds."
Princess Kate is seen with Prince Louis at the 2024 Together at Christmas concert.
The princess invites people from across the U.K. to the annual event.
This year's theme will be focused on celebrating love in all its forms, with Kensington Palace noting, "In a world that can often feel fragmented and disconnected, love is the force that reconnects us all—spanning generations, communities, cultures, and faiths."
The princess will recognize and thank people across the U.K. who are acting with love in their communities, contributing to a more cohesive and connected society. Westminster Abbey will be filled with 1,600 people connected to the theme of love—along with some special celebrity guests.
Readings and musical performances will be held by guests including Hannah Waddingham, Dan Smith, Kate Winslet and Chiwetel Ejiofor, per the palace.
Prince William, Princess Kate, Duchess Sophie and Zara and Mike Tindall are pictured at the 2021 concert.
Last year, the Princess of Wales managed to pull off a special surprise for Princess Charlotte at the concert—with a little help from Prince Louis. The 10-year-old princess, like her grandmother Princess Diana, is a huge fan of ballet and takes dance lessons. Proud mom Kate brought in dancers from the Royal Ballet to perform at the event, but opted not to tell Charlotte ahead of time.
"I said Louis, can you keep a secret, because I want it to be a surprise for Charlotte, who loves her ballet," the royal said in a clip shared by Sky News on TikTok. She added, "And he said promise, promise I won't say anything."
True to his word, Louis said nothing to his big sister, who reacted with surprised smiles during the ballet performance.
