When her mother, the Princess of Wales, hosted a carol service last night, Princess Charlotte, an animated young royal, stole the show.
Kate presided over the Together at Christmas service, which was recorded at Westminster Abbey earlier this month and honored Queen Elizabeth II.
The well-behaved princess, seven, was praised by the audience for her joy, with one scene showing her reacted eagerly to actor Hugh Bonneville reading from Paddington Bear.
Photo: PA
With her “priceless” reaction as her face lit up during the tribute to the late Queen, Charlotte won the hearts of the viewers.
A grand piano decorated with images of the Queen from various periods of her life and reign was used by musician Alexis Ffrench to perform In The Bleak Midwinter in another heartfelt tribute to the late monarch.
King Charles III, the Queen Consort, the Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as nine-year-old Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were present at the event.
The first Christmas without her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth will be this one, Kate said at the beginning of the program.
Christmas was special to Her Majesty because it brought people together.
Kate describes a touching bond between the late Queen and her young children later in the show.
The Princess exhibits a family photo of the Queen performing a Christmas play as a young child and comments, “It really resonated with me, and seeing Her Majesty here doing the production on Christmas day during the second world war, which I thought was really special.”
“I can recall doing this kind of thing when I was a young girl, too. When I saw this picture, it was wonderful because I could see how much my kids enjoy performing for us in this way. When they invite me to participate, we start dancing around the table.
The concert featured only two of the Prince and Princess of Wales’ children; the youngest, the infamously cheeky Prince Louis, was not present.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte proudly followed Kate and Will’s lead, making their parents proud.
At the service, they sang loudly while dressed in matching red and black outfits for their mother and father, respectively.
Princess Charlotte wore a chic burgundy coat with a fur collar, her hair pulled back, and mary-jane shoes.
The young princess was a perfect replica of her mother, who also attended the event dressed in a chic burgundy coat and chic heels.
George appeared as a smaller version of William and was dressed in a sharp suit with a navy and white tie, demonstrating how well-coordinated the Wales family was.
They arrived holding hands with their parents for the first time while attending the service in this manner.
The family-friendly carol service’s content undoubtedly comforted the royal siblings. The mention of Paddington, who co-starred in a memorable sketch with the late Queen for her platinum jubilee in June, made Charlotte beam.
Small Paddington Bear ornaments were placed on a Christmas tree in the abbey as a tribute to the late Queen’s well-known cartoon, and guests were welcomed with atmospheric snowflakes from a snow machine as they entered.
Prince George and his younger sister held candles and seemed to be acting well as they joined the congregation in singing carols.
More than 1,800 people attended the televised service, which was narrated by Catherine Zeta-Jones and broadcast on ITV1 on Christmas Eve. George and Charlotte were among them.
The Prince of Wales was seen at one point putting a supporting hand on his son George’s back while Kate was seen at another time wrapping a comforting arm around Charlotte’s shoulder.
The Princess stated that the service’s goal was to “continue Her Majesty’s tradition of thanking those who have gone above and beyond to support others” during Kate’s introduction to it.
“Her Majesty leaves us with an amazing legacy that has profoundly inspired many of us,”
“She and all those who sadly are no longer with us are dedicated to this year’s carol service,” the statement reads.
Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, as well as other senior members of the royal family, were present.
The poignant images of the Queen played by composer and artistic director of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Ffrench on a grand piano during the service moved the audience members to tears.
William, Prince of Wales, read an excerpt from the late Queen’s 2012 Christmas message in one of the most moving parts of the service.
“At Christmas, I’m always struck by how the spirit of togetherness lies also at the heart of the Christmas story,” he says, paraphrasing her Majesty.
Poor shepherds and guests from afar joined a young mother and a devout father and their infant. To worship the Christ Child, they came bearing gifts.
To honor their contributions across the nation, the Princess this year invited hundreds of “inspiring individuals” to the service.
They “demonstrate the power of connectedness and community values, allowing us to carry on Her Majesty’s tradition of recognizing and thanking those who have gone above and beyond to support others,” as she put it.
She continued, “Her Majesty leaves us with an amazing legacy that has profoundly inspired many of us. She and all those who sadly passed away are honored during this year’s carol service.
Therefore, even though this year’s Christmas will feel very different, we can still reflect on the experiences and traditions we had together.
On December 15, the service was held just hours after the bombshell documentary featuring the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s shocking revelations was released on Netflix.
It was narrated by Catherine Zeta-Jones and includes short films about people who go above and beyond to help others as well as tributes to Her Majesty The Queen.
Photo: ITV Royal Carols
The Princess was particularly interested in highlighting Inna Hryhorovych, headmistress of St. Mary’s Ukrainian School in London, whose workload has increased significantly since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, as part of the service funded by the Royal Foundation.
Ms. Hryhorovych is seen accepting a letter from Kate in which the latter expresses gratitude for the support she gives to the families and students at the school.
One of the most stirring performances of the evening was her children’s choir singing O Come, All Ye Faithful.
