For the third year in a row, Kate Middleton will be hosting a Christmas special at Westminster Abbey, but this year’s edition of Together at Christmas will have a special twist. Over the weekend, the Royal Foundation announced that the princess will host the carol concert on December 8, and it will feature midwives, home health visitors, and preschool teachers from around the UK as audience members. The show will also include musical performances from an array of singers and musicians, including Adam Lambert, Jacob Collier, Freya Ridings, Beverley Knight, and James Bay.
In a statement, the foundation shared that the service would be connected to Kate’s Centre for Early Childhood campaign, Shaping Us. The awareness drive, which was launched last January with a short film and a slate of star-studded ambassadors, aims to educate the general public about the importance of early childhood education and brain development for children under five.
“This year, the service will be a moment to thank all those who work to support babies, young children and families in our communities across the UK and a celebration of the golden opportunity that the birth of a new baby brings,” the foundation said. “The service will showcase the hope of new life and why it is so important to build supportive, nurturing worlds around children and the adults in their lives. We know that the foundations we lay in early childhood shape the rest of our lives and the adults we become.”
The foundation added that 12 more carol services will take place concurrently across the UK on December 8. The Westminster Abbey service will also air on broadcaster ITV on December 24.
When Kate first hosted the service in 2021, she showed off her skill behind the piano. Last year, she was joined at the service by her husband, Prince William, her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, and a handful of other family members, including King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie. A hint that Kate’s 2023 carol service was on the way came in October, when the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester accidentally shared their RSVP on the royal website’s public calendar of events.
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