NEED TO KNOW
- Kate Middleton will be joined by members of the royal family at her annual Christmas carol service
- The Together at Christmas service will take place at Westminster Abbey on Dec. 5
- Others who will be in attendance will include Kate Winslet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Hannah Waddingham and Joe Locke
Kate Middleton’s annual Christmas carol service will be a family affair.
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The Princess of Wales, 43, will welcome members of the royal family for her Together at Christmas service at Westminster Abbey on Friday, Dec. 5.
Prince William will be involved, but there is no word yet on what other members of the royal family will be attending.
In the past, the Prince and Princess of Wales brought their three children: Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7. Members of Kate’s family have all attended too.
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Joining the royal family this year will be Kate Winslet and Chiwetel Ejiofor, who are giving readings.
Other readings will come from Babatunde Aléshé and Joe Locke, who will be accompanied by pianist Paul Gladstone Reid.
Hannah Waddingham, Griff, Katie Melua and Dan Smith are taking part in musical performances, and a song will also be performed by Cornish folk music group Fisherman’s Friends.
For Waddingham, it is the continuation of her association and collaboration with the royal family, as she has been a prominent celebrity supporter of William’s Earthshot Prize.
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Westminster Abbey’s world-famous choir will sing some of the best-known carols, Kate’s office at Kensington Palace announced.
As the large group gathers, they will be welcomed with music by eight young performers, ages 3 to 18, from Future Talent, a charity co-founded by the late Katharine, Duchess of Kent and Nicholas Robinson.
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The theme for this year’s event is “love in all its forms.”
“The Service will bring people together to celebrate love in all its forms — whether it’s love within families, through friendships, across communities or even through powerful moments of connection with strangers. In a world that can often feel fragmented and disconnected, love is the force that reconnects us all – spanning generations, communities, cultures and faiths,” Kensington Palace said.
“As we approach the Christmas season, we are reminded of the power of togetherness. The evening will highlight the transformative power of investing in one another with compassion, presence and joy,” it added.
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The service will allow Kate and William to welcome those they’ve met throughout the past year, and honor the causes and patronages they have worked with.
Kate herself will look back at a poignant year. In January, she announced she was in remission from cancer.
One of the elements that has helped her through her health challenges, Kate has said, is being in nature.
The palace said horticulturalist Jamie Butterworth will reflect a love of nature for the annual Christmas event, creating a festive environment outside Westminster Abbey.
The Royal Horticultural Society will donate wreaths, produced in partnership with some of their ambassadors and schoolchildren, for display inside the ancient Abbey.
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In tandem with the service at the Abbey, there will be other community carol services held at 15 locations around the United Kingdom: from Manchester and Berkshire in England, to Newport and St. David’s in Wales, plus Renfrewshire and Ayrshire and Dumfries in Scotland.
The Together at Christmas service is being filmed for broadcast as part of Royal Carols: Together At Christmas, a special program that goes out on ITV1 and ITVX in the U.K. on Christmas Eve, with a repeat showing the following morning on Christmas Day.