Kate Middleton has revealed her
excitement over hosting her Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey, a
place she said is “really
special to William and me,” in a new specially recorded
message.
The church played host to Prince William and
Kate’s royal wedding in April 2011, with the couple celebrating their
tenth wedding anniversary earlier this year.
The Duchess recorded the message to
introduce Royal Carols: Together
at Christmas, the broadcast of her community carol service which will
air on Christmas Eve on ITV.
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| Kate decorates the tree with Abbey Marshal, Leticia Cachoeira Edwards |
It was recorded the day before the service as
Kate visited the Abbey to help with preparations. In new photos released by
Kensington Palace, the Duchess, wearing a festive Miu Miu cardigan, can be seen
decorating Christmas trees donated by the Queen from Windsor Great Park
and arranging wreaths that were donated by the Royal Horticultural Society.
In her
message, Kate thanked those who have gone above and beyond to support their
communities during the pandemic.
“We wanted to
say a huge thank you to all those amazing people out there who have supported
their communities. We also wanted to recognize those whose struggles perhaps
have been less visible, too.”
She added: “We’ve been through such a bleak time. We’ve seen so many
challenges. We’ve lost our loved ones. We’ve seen our frontline workers under
immense pressure. And also we’ve been more emotionally and socially distanced
and isolated from each other. But I suppose through that separation, we’ve also
realized how much we need each other and how acts of kindness and love can
really bring us comfort and relief in times of distress.“
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| William and Kate attended the concert earlier this month |
Speaking
about those invited to the concert, Kate said: “In the congregation
tonight we’ve got many inspirational individuals. We owe them a huge debt of
gratitude for all they’ve done in bringing people together and supporting their
communities. Tonight, we’re going to hear so many wonderful carols. Music was so important to me during the
pandemic as I think it was to so many people too. But above all
it’s about celebrating the goodwill, the acts of kindness, love, empathy, and
compassion to help people come through these difficult times. I hope
everyone can enjoy this evening with their family and friends. And I wish you a
very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.”
The service includes musical performances by
the Westminster Abbey Choir, Leona Lewis, Ellie Goulding and a special performance
by Tom Walker of his Christmas single For Those Who Can’t Be Here.
In a clip shared by ITV earlier this week,
William and Kate were spotted exchanging a sweet glance at one another during
Ellie Goulding’s performance of Have
Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. No doubt it brought back special
memories for the couple, as Ellie sang at their wedding.
The concert also incorporates readings
delivered by the Duke of Cambridge, British Paralympian and junior doctor Kim
Daybell, actor Tom Felton, and presenter, Kate Garraway, in addition to a
performance of To The Day, a poignant composition written for the service by
poet and writer Lemn Sissay.
