KATE LEADS A CELEBRATION OF LOVE

The Princess Of Wales hit the right note once again as her Together at Christmas service shared a heartfelt and meaningful message

- MITYA UNDERWOOD AND JENNIFER NEWTON

It was an evening of love, connection and compassion as the Princess of Wales returned to Westminster Abbey for another deeply moving Together at Christmas carol service.

Now in its fifth year, Kate, 43, was joined by a congregation of 1,600 guests to celebrate “love in all its forms”, proudly supported by the Prince of Wales and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

“The concert’s success owes much to the care and attention that Catherine gives it, along with the fact that so many members of the family - including, of course, William and the children - make a point of turning out for it, and to the bevy of stars that she always invites to take part,” former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond tells OK!. “There’s always a bit of razzmatazz, glitz and glamour to go with the heartfelt message of love and kindness.

“When you join something as well established as the royal family ‘firm’, it can’t be easy to find your own unique field of influence, but Catherine’s Christmas carol concert is now firmly identified with her and has become an important part of the nation’s festivities.”

As well as demonstrating how far Kate and her family have come since her cancer diagnosis in early 2024, the concert delivered a powerful message that “what we do matters”.

The theme was carefully woven into every thread of the event's service and decor. A Connection Tree on which members of the congregation added their names - including George, Charlotte and Louis - was brought in, and for the first time, an illustrator was present to capture candid moments of connection throughout the evening.

Jennie tells us, “It kicks off Christmas in a wonderful, gentle and meaningful way and releases us, for a short while at least, from the chaos and commercialism of this time of year.