Kate Middleton granted major honor by the Queen and Royal Family ahead of iconic festive appearance

The Royal Family have shown their support for Kate Middleton with a poignant honor this festive season.

Kate Middleton granted major honor from the Queen at Christmas time
(Image credit: Future // Image 1: Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images // Image 2: Photo by John Stillwell/WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Kate Middleton has been granted a huge honor by the Queen and Royal Family this festive period as she prepares to make an iconic television appearance. 


Kate Middleton will soon make a highly-anticipated festive appearance as the host of the poignant carol concert, Royal Carols: Together at Christmas, which reflected on the challenges of this past year and give thanks for small acts of kindness. This carol concert was filmed earlier in December and is set to be one of the best Christmas TV specials 2021, airing on ITV on Christmas Eve. 

Reports have recently alleged that Prince William and Kate ‘banned’ the BBC from airing the concert after the controversy surrounding the documentary, The Princes of the Press. Though the couple seemed to have put this behind them and were pictured beaming as they arrived for the concert filming. Kate’s red dress was a beautiful choice and she looked eager for the evening, which featured performances from Ellie Goulding and Tom Walker, amongst many others.

Already a teaser trailer has been released, with Prince William and Kate’s “festive glance” leaving some fans baffled. Now the Queen and Royal Family have come together to grant the Duchess a heartfelt honor ahead of the broadcast.

Taking to the Royal Family’s official Twitter and Instagram pages, the Queen has given fans a reminder about the upcoming date of the carol concert. 

The touching caption declared, “📺 Don’t forget! The #TogetherAtChristmas carol concert will be broadcast on @ITV 7:30pm, Christmas Eve.

“🎄Join the @TheDukeandDuchessofCambridge, with other Members of The Royal Family, at @westminsterabbeylondon as they welcome extraordinary individuals for a special festive service.”

And Her Majesty wasn’t the only one to honor Kate Middleton’s heart-warming project in this way. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall’s Clarence House Twitter account also re-tweeted the monarch’s thoughtful message to their followers.

See more

This glowing endorsement from the Queen, Prince of Wales and Duchess Camilla is a wonderful reflection of their support for Kate, as well as for this important concert and her commitment to it. For the event, Kate paid tribute to the incredible work of all those who have supported their communities throughout the pandemic and she invited many people from charities and communities she'd visited throughout 2021. 

The monarch's message comes not only days before the concert they all attended is set to air, but before Christmas Day itself. It’s recently been announced that the Queen had cancelled Christmas at Sandringham, where the Cambridges had been predicted to celebrate with her as part of the Queen’s Christmas 2021 plans.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attend the Together At Christmas community carol service at Westminster Abbey

(Image credit: Photo by HEATHCLIFF O'MALLEY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Now it’s thought that they and the extended Royal Family could gather at Windsor Castle to celebrate Christmas. This would no doubt be particularly welcome for the Queen, who is facing her first Christmas since losing her beloved husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, in April. 

If Prince William, Kate Middleton and other royals do end up marking the festive season here, it’s even possible that they could end up watching Together at Christmas as a family when it airs on Christmas Eve!

Royal Carols: Together At Christmas will be broadcast on Christmas Eve at 7:30pm on ITV. 

Emma Shacklock

Emma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing. Her specialist areas include the British Royal Family, ranging from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the next unmissable show to add to your to-watch list or delving into royal protocol, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!