Was Kate Middleton's 2023 Christmas Concert Date Accidentally Revealed on the Royal Family's Website?
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The Princess of Wales has hosted the 'Royal Carols: Together At Christmas' concert around the same time for the last two years
Even Kate Middleton gets hit with tech glitches!
Though the Princess of Wales, 41, has yet to confirm that she’ll host a third annual Royal Carols: Together At Christmas concert this year, the December date may have been accidentally revealed — by the royal family.
On Thursday, Hello! reported that the detail seemed to slip on the royal family’s Royal.UK website under upcoming engagements for Prince Richard and Birgitte, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. According to the outlet, the message said that the couple “will attend a Carol Service held by The Princess of Wales in Westminster Abbey, London” on Dec. 8.
While the plans were not listed at press time on The Royal Diary tab of the Royal.UK website, where the official engagements of royal family members are published up to eight weeks in advance, Dec. 8 aligns with past precedent. The Royal Carols: Together At Christmas concert has been held around the same time for the last two years, an initiative Princess Kate spearheaded to pay tribute to the individuals and organizations across the U.K. who supported their communities during the COVID pandemic.
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It will be a royal repeat if the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester attend the possible Christmas concert, as they supported last year. The Duke of Gloucester, 79, is Queen Elizabeth’s first cousin and a full-time working royal alongside his wife. The couple resides at Kensington Palace and steps out for events like the Royal Ascot and Trooping the Colour — though you won’t see their three adult children, as they do not carry out royal duties.
The inaugural Royal Carols: Together At Christmas concert was held at Westminster Abbey (where Kate and Prince William wed in 2011!) on Dec. 8, 2021, in a special broadcast on ITV that Christmas Eve. Kate surprised viewers with her first public piano performance. The royal hit the keys to accompany Tom Walker as he sang "For Those Who Can't Be Here" in a pre-recorded performance.
According to a royal source, the idea for the duet came from the princess herself, who learned the piano as a child and took "great comfort" in playing music throughout the pandemic.
"Music was very important to the [then] Duchess during the lockdowns," a royal source said at the time. "She also recognizes the powerful way in which music brings people together — especially during difficult times. For these reasons, she was keen to be part of Tom's performance in this way."
Though the Princess of Wales didn’t play piano at the 2022 show at Westminster Abbey last Dec. 15, the festive event was again held to bring together members of the royal family with charity staff, community volunteers, frontline workers, military personnel and more to "celebrate the joy that human connection can bring," Buckingham Palace said in a release at the time. Princess Kate also brought along two special guests for the first time — Prince George and Princess Charlotte!
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The Prince and Princess of Wales entered the event holding hands with George, 10, and Charlotte, 8, while their youngest, Prince Louis, 5, stayed home. The little prince might have missed the concert for a relatable reason, as the evening event was probably past his bedtime.
The event remained a family affair with King Charles, Queen Camilla, Princess Eugenie, Jack Brooksbank, Princess Beatrice, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Zara and Mike Tindall, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Lord Frederick Windsor, his wife Sophie Winkleman, Lady Gabriella Windsor and her husband Tom Kingston all attending. Princess Kate's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, also came out with her sister, Pippa.
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Last year’s program was woven with tributes to Queen Elizabeth, who died in September 2022 at age 96.
"This carol service is dedicated to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and to all those who are sadly no longer with us. Her Late Majesty's strongly held values of duty, compassion and faith have guided the creation of this service," a message inside the program for Royal Carols: Together at Christmas read.
As the service began, a film played highlighting how the late Queen was at the heart of Christmas Day for so many people with her annual holiday address.
Prince William also gave a poignant reading and revisited his late grandmother's Christmas broadcast from 2012.
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