Over the past five years, Kate Middleton’s annual Together at Christmas carol service has cemented itself as the unofficial Christmas kickoff for royal watchers. By now, we have come to expect certain hallmarks of the evening, which typically takes place in early December before being broadcast on Christmas Eve: a candlelit Westminster Abbey, a slew of impeccably tailored winter coat moments from the arriving guests, and the presence of the extended royal family.
What we didn’t expect, however, was for the evening’s most poignant musical interlude to come not from a chart-topping guest artist, but straight from the royal box—or rather, the piano bench.
In a surprise move that drew more than a few misty eyes from the 1,500-strong congregation, the Princess of Wales returned to the keys, having performed at the inaugural event in 2021 to accompany singer-songwriter Tom Walker on his Christmas song “For Those Who Can’t Be Here.” But this time, she was joined by an even more unexpected partner: her 10-year-old daughter, Princess Charlotte. Seated side-by-side at a Steinway piano, the duo performed a tender four-hand arrangement of “Silent Night,” offering a rare, intimate glimpse into their close mother-daughter bond.
