The Princess, who is recovering from cancer, played an instrumental role in organizing the carol service, ensuring it emphasized themes of love, kindness, and empathy. She invited Lady Gabriella, the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, to join the team over the summer to help plan this year’s event.
Lady Gabriella, a 43-year-old British writer with a passion for music who released her first songs in 2020, supported the Princess by advising the team on the musical performances featured in the service.
A source shared that Lady Gabriella was deeply moved and thankful to the Princess for the opportunity to contribute to such a meaningful concert, feeling honored to be involved.
It has been a challenging year for both Kate, who was diagnosed with cancer earlier in the year, and Lady Gabriella, who tragically lost her husband, Thomas Kingston, in February.
Thomas, 45, died from a catastrophic head injury, with a gun found near his body at his parents’ home in the Cotswolds on February 25. Just days before attending the carol service, Lady Gabriella had attended an inquest into her husband’s death at Gloucestershire Coroner’s Court.
Lady Gabriella was pictured arriving at Westminster Abbey alongside Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and Kate’s siblings, Pippa Matthews and James Middleton.
Meanwhile, Kensington Palace has revealed touching details about Royal Carols: Together At Christmas, which will be broadcast on Christmas Eve. Kate has recorded a personal introduction for the show, based on a letter she wrote to all the guests at the concert.
In her message, the Princess shares: “Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year, a time for presents, tinsel, and mince pies, but also a time to pause and reflect on the deeper things that unite us all. It is when we step away from the pressures of daily life that we create space to live with open hearts—filled with love, kindness, and forgiveness, which embody the Christmas spirit.”
Following Kate’s introduction, the broadcast, narrated by Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald, will feature three special community films highlighting individuals and organizations that have inspired, supported, and comforted others in times of need. In each film, the groups receive personal invitations from the Princess to attend the service at Westminster Abbey, with the Sankofa Songsters invited to perform.
The three featured films include the Worcestershire Gingerbread Group, focusing on a single mother who created a community for single parents; Beyond Cornwall, which highlights the efforts of young carers; and the Sankofa Songsters, an intergenerational choir based in Belong Chester.
