Kate Middleton loves Christmas. And while planning celebrations, she learned how much of a spiritual successor she is to Queen Elizabeth II.
Though they don’t share blood, the Princess of Wales and the late Queen shared the desire to make Christmas an important day. Kate goes about it differently, though, even reportedly snubbing traditions Elizabeth held dear — the Princess values a more homey feel to the holidays so her family can recover from public duties.
She’s planning a Christmas concert for Dec. 2024, a Kensington Palace spokesman told The Telegraph. The event will “shine a light on individuals from all over the U.K. who have shown love, kindness and empathy towards others in their communities.”
Kate will host around 1600 guests at Westminster Abbey for the celebration, which includes carol singing. Royal commentator Hugo Vickers claimed Kate’s choice to be the public face of such an important event signals similarity to her late mother-in-law’s work ethic. He told The Sun, “If there’s anything that she’s going to do between now and the end of the year, it would be the carol service.”
The concert comes after Kate took part in Remembrance Day celebrations in England. It was one of her first major appearances since finishing chemotherapy earlier in 2024.
“It’s enormously popular. It has become one of the nicest features of the Christmas season,” Vickers added. “They’ve been hugely successful, the last ones that she did. It’s her way of saying thank you and highlighting the needs of people in communities who’ve helped each other. I’m sure of all the things that she could have done that was going to be a high priority.”
He also claimed the confirmation she will attend speaks to her improving health. “The fact we’ve been told now she is going to appear on Dec. 6 also indicates that she is able to make that sort of decision. Vickers concluded, “Beforehand it was always very much ‘Let’s see how it is on the day.’ So that’s good news, too.”
Kate’s motivation to fulfill her royal duties channels the same trait Elizabeth displayed on many occasions. The Queen was noted for devoting most of her Christmas day to attending church, to the extent gifts were traditionally exchanged on Christmas Eve instead of on Dec. 25. She was also famously reluctant to cancel events, even near the end of her life.
Vickers explained, “The words that spring to mind are stoicism and dignity. I don’t think you could have a better example of that than Queen Elizabeth II.”
He praised Elizabeth and Kate’s philosophy, “You know, just get on with the job. Don’t don’t care a jot what people say about you or think about you. Leave that up to them. You just know what you’re going to do, and you do it.”
The royal expert lauded Kate for having those same qualities, saying “I bet you she learned them from the Queen.”
Before we start all feeling bad about ourselves, it’s important to remember Kate had access to top-quality medical care, staff to perform routine household chores, and a supportive family around her. Not everyone’s so lucky, though we’re glad she has completed therapy and is back doing what she loves.