How Catherine's doing it her way
Plus, the white lie that may have prevented disaster and could the "William effect" take off?
Hi everyone, it’s Emily here with my weekly newsletter. It’s freezing here and the evenings are dark so I’m relieved to see festive lights starting to twinkle all around.
This time next week I’ll be leaving Westminster Abbey after the Together at Christmas carol service, hosted by the Princess of Wales, which I think is likely to be the most poignant one yet.
Going on previous years, I’m expecting to see a big royal turnout, along with a lot of famous faces there to support it through music or readings.
And obviously we are all looking forward to seeing Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis singing along and holding their lit candles alongside their parents.
With a focus this year on “love and empathy”, and the people who have supported “those in need”, it’s not hard to see how much personal meaning it will have for Catherine, given everything she has been through this year.
And just as many of you have been celebrating Thanksgiving this week, so too will the royal family be counting their blessings as they come together in the place that has so much meaning for them.
But it strikes me that this now annual fixture is a real marker of how much the future Queen is now doing things on her own terms.