Kate Middleton has penned a reflective letter, which will be given to the 1,600 guests attending Westminster Abbey for her Together at Christmas carol service. In the address, Catherine implored the public to “turn to love, not fear,” even in what she described as “the darkest times.”
It is no wonder that empathy and the importance of human connection have been on the Princess’s mind as she looks back on 2024. It has been, as Prince William declared, a “brutal” year for the Wales family. Catherine announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer in March, following major abdominal surgery, then stepped back from the public eye to undergo chemotherapy treatment. As such, her decision to host her fourth annual Christmas carol concert has been viewed as a milestone return to royal duties. But what might this highly personal message tell us about how the Princess of Wales has viewed this most challenging of years?
“Christmas is my favorite time of the year,” wrote the Princess of Wales in the letter, which concertgoers will receive alongside the order of service on Friday. “It is a time for celebration and joy, but it also gives us the opportunity to slow down and reflect on the deeper things that connect us all.”
She continued, focusing on how stepping back from daily life might encourage us to look inwards to the more vulnerable sides of ourselves and re-focus on what we can offer to others. “The Christmas story encourages us to consider the experiences and feelings of others,” Catherine wrote. “It also reflects our own vulnerabilities and reminds us of the importance of giving and receiving empathy, as well as just how much we need each other in spite of our differences.”
The princess then opened up about the importance of love, in a message that many will read as a personal insight into her own personal development this year, as well as how her own family helped her through her chemotherapy treatment. “Above all else,” she wrote of the Christmas story, “it encourages us to turn to love, not fear. The love that we show ourselves and the love we show others. Love that listens with empathy, love that is kind and understanding, love that is forgiving, and love that brings joy and hope.”
She added: ‘”It is this love which is the greatest gift we can receive. Not just at Christmas, but every day of our lives. Love is the light that can shine bright, even in our darkest times.”
The heartfelt wording is an echo of the Princess of Wales’s own meditation on how her health journey this year left her with a refreshed outlook on family life. In a statement announcing that her chemotherapy had come to an end in September, she wrote: “The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.”
“This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved.”
The guidance of family on roads unknown, the light of love in dark times—while poetic in their style, these sentiments will certainly be read as a personal insight into a year that has been extremely challenging for the House of Windsor. Alongside Catherine’s health journey, King Charles has also been undergoing cancer treatment, and The Princess of Wales’ paean to empathy comes after reports that she and the King have grown closer than ever during their health journey this year.
Speaking to The Times, this Spring, a source said the king has “always” had a “close, warm and unique” relationship with the princess, while she has “a great love and respect for him.” But they revealed how the two had spent time together while receiving treatment. Insiders said, “When they were in hospital together there was a lot of toddling down the corridor to spend time with her.”
Meanwhile insiders speaking to The Telegraph said the King “treats Kate like the daughter he never had.” Sources went on to explain how Kate had been inspired to speak out about her diagnosis after seeing Charles’s own openness about his condition.
Minutes after Kate released her moving statement to the public in March, Charles and Camilla released their own written statement, praising the princess for her courage.
A statement released by the palace read, “His Majesty is so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did. His Majesty has remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law. Both Their Majestys will continue to offer their love and support to the family at this time.”
And what of that reference to forgiveness? One significant aspect of the royals’ modern-day Annus Horribilis has no doubt been the schism between the House of Windsor and the Sussexes, as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appear to grow ever the more distant from their family back in Britain. This week, sources have revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not been invited to Christmas at Sandringham, the sixth year they have been “snubbed” by the Crown.
Read moreA Timeline of Prince Harry and Prince William’s Royal Rift
Let’s map this out, shall we?
The frosty relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry dates back to the Duke of Sussex’s allegations against Catherine in his bombshell memoir Spare, but it was an apparent dig at Kate Middleton during his 2022 documentary that was seen as “the lowest of the low.” Speaking during one of the show’s early episodes, Harry said: “I think for so many people in the family, especially obviously the men, there can be a temptation or an urge to marry someone who would fit the mold as opposed to somebody who you perhaps are destined to be with.”
According to royal writer Robert Hardman, this was widely perceived as an attack on William’s relationship with Kate. A friend of the family told the author: “On top of all the other breaches of trust, here was Harry making a blatant attack on Catherine. For William, this was the lowest of the low.”
The Duke of Sussex also wrote that Catherine was offended by Meghan’s suggestion that the princess may be suffering from “baby brain.” Jennie Bond told OK! magazine that, while Catherine had once seen the relationship with the Sussexes as salvageable, healing the rift was looking increasingly difficult.
“Catherine has been hurt and insulted by things that Harry and Meghan have said, but she and William are a very strong team, and I suspect that, together, they’ve come to the conclusion that the rift with Harry cannot be fixed in the foreseeable future,” the royal expert explained. “They’ve closed their minds to that possibility and decided to get on with their lives.”
But could this Christmas message, focusing as it does on the importance of forgiveness, mark hope for a potential new beginning—an olive branch to Prince Harry and Meghan? The Princess of Wales is not the only senior royal with forgiveness on their mind. In recent months, King Charles is reported to have sought spiritual guidance from faith leaders, which left him “open to a truce” with his son.
These concerns will all be circulating during the Together at Christmas carol concert, which takes place this Friday, but will air to the nation during a special Christmas Eve programme on ITV1 and ITVX. Amid the family tensions and the sombre reflections on the royals’ health battles this year, though, friends of the family have suggested that the occasion will be a joyous one. including Kate Middleton will act as a master of ceremonies, and will be joined by notable celebrities such as Michelle Dockery, Richard E Grant, Sophie Okonedo, and Sir Chris Hoy, who has a terminal cancer diagnosis. Prince William is also reportedly set to give a reading.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, one source said, “It’s a really important occasion for Catherine and she is determined to be there, having been quite hands-on behind the scenes. Expect it to be a big family occasion and a happy note on which to close an otherwise very challenging 2024.”
This article first appeared on Tatler.
The post Kate Middleton’s Message About the ‘Darkest of Times’ Is Raising Eyebrows appeared first on Glamour.
