Kate Middleton consists of considerate tribute to the late Duchess of Kent in her Together At Christmas carol service

The Princess of Wales will make a thoughtful tribute to the late Duchess of Kent in her upcoming carol concert.

Kate, 43, is currently preparing for her Together At Christmas service, which is set to return to Westminster Abbey on Friday, December 5, before being broadcast to the nation on Christmas Eve. 

This year will mark the concert’s fifth year and will include a tribute to Duchess Katharine, who passed away on September 4, aged 92. 

Before guests even set foot inside the Abbey, they will be entertained with music by young performers from Future Talent, the charity co-founded by the late Duchess of Kent to support children from low-income backgrounds. 

The thoughtful gesture from Kate honours Katharine’s career working as a music teacher at Wansbeck Primary School in Hull, where she was known as plain ‘Ms Kent’ to her pupils, despite her royal credentials. 

She was also known to love music, even telling The Sunday Telegraph in 2022 that she likes beatboxing and rap, including Ice Cube and Eminem. 

She said at the time: ‘I just love music. Something that catches my ear on the radio – I don’t really listen to records. If it makes my feet tap, then I’m happy.’ 

As a schoolgirl, she was taught to play the piano, the violin and the organ, narrowly missing out on a place at the Royal Academy of Music.

She pursued her passion for music through finishing school in Oxford and grew up dreaming of playing Carnegie Hall.

Following teaching, the Duchess set up Future Talent in 2004 to ‘break down barriers, create opportunities and harness the power of music to transform lives across the UK.’ 

The Duchess of Kent stepped back from royal duties in 2002 but did attend William and Kate’s wedding in 2011.

In a statement signed ‘W & C’, the Prince and Princess of Wales said following her death: ‘Our thoughts today are with The Duke of Kent and his family, particularly George, Helen and Nicholas.

‘The Duchess worked tirelessly to help others and supported many causes, including through her love of music. She will be a much missed member of the family.’

It’s not the first time Kate has made a thoughtful gesture in the planning of her carol concert, as she reached out to Lady Gabriella Windsor last year. 

Lady Gabriella took a major role in planning the service after Kate reached out, months after her husband Thomas Kingston took his own life that February. 

An insider said she ‘enjoyed her role within the service and was excited to be a part of it’, while the Princess was ‘incredibly grateful for her contribution’. 

The service is usually attended by both working and non-working royals, including Prince William and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Charles and Camilla have also previously attended the concert, but were absent from the event last year. At the time, the Queen was recovering from a bout of pneumonia.

This year, 1,600 guests have been invited to watch the choir alongside celebrity readings from Kate Winslet and Chiwetel Ejiofor. 

Attendees will also enjoy special musical performances from Hannah Waddingham and Dan Smith from Bastille, which will be filmed for broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX on Christmas Eve.

The future Queen hosted her first carol service in 2021. Last year the concert marked her return to public duties following her cancer diagnosis.

Viewers will also be able to watch a repeat showing of the carol service on the morning of Christmas Day.

Kensington Palace said the event 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,’ the Palace continued. 

‘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.’

Through this year’s carol service, the Princess wishes to recognise and thank people who are ‘contributing to a more cohesive and connected society’ through acts of love around the country.

Guests attending the service have been nominated by Lord-Lieutenants and charities associated with Members of the Royal Family.

The audience will comprise people who have dedicated or volunteered their time to others, started community-led initiatives, or shown kindness and empathy to those around them.

They will be joined by members of the Royal Family, as well as a number of famous faces who have championed ‘compassion and togetherness’ through their own works. 

In addition to songs by the Westminster Abbey choir and celebrity appearances, the service will also be a platform for some notable guests to share their stories.

The entrance to the Abbey will be decorated by horticulturalist Jamie Butterworth, who has been tasked with creating a ‘natural, festive environment’ that aims to ‘highlight the importance of nature’.

The Abbey itself will be adorned inside with wreaths donated by the Royal Horticultural Society, which have been made in partnership with their Ambassadors and schoolchildren. 

In addition to the main service, 15 Together At Christmas community carol services will also take place around the country, hosted by Lord-Lieutenants and supported by The Royal Foundation.

These smaller services will be held in places such as the Coronation Street Visitor Centre, an arts centre in Newbury and a community farm in Gwent.

The Princess of Wales’s Together At Christmas carol service airs on Christmas Eve on ITV.