My special ticket to Catherine's carol concert
Emily Nash was one of the lucky guests to attend the Princess' festive event
Hello Royal Clubbers,
It’s Emily here, making a brief return with a special post about the Princess of Wales’ carol concert that I was fortunate enough to attend over the weekend.
It has become a modern royal tradition of the very best kind – a moment of togetherness, reflection and celebration to round off the year. I was among the 1,600 guests attending the Together at Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey on Friday, and this year somehow felt more special than ever.
Every detail of this now annual event had been thoughtfully planned and executed to perfection – from the magical wonderland-style naturescape at the entrance, consisting of woodland trees interwoven with Christmas trees and decorated with fruits and berries, to the coloured paper strips on which we wrote our names, to be added to a paper chain decorating a “Connection Tree”.
Inside, the glow of the candles bathed the Abbey in a soft light, and I spotted several familiar faces. There were, of course, the celebrity performers, including Kate Winslet and Chiwetel Ejiofor, along with a special surprise guest in the form of the Hollywood star Eugene Levy, who William so memorably opened up to earlier this year, and who brought his wife and daughter too. Hannah Waddingham, who had been due to sing, came as a guest instead after losing her voice, but singer Zak Abel gave a beautiful rendition of Silent Night in her place.
But what touched me the most was seeing others there whose stories touched William and Catherine and countless more of us over the course of the past year. They included Rhian Mannings, whose story of losing her child to illness and her husband to suicide left the Prince tearful, and Steven Frank, the Holocaust survivor whom I watched Catherine greet with an enormous hug when they were reunited back in January.
Lewis Moody, the former England rugby star who was recently diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, was there with his family, signalling the royal couple’s ongoing support for those facing the illness, as was Katherine Field, who was pictured having cold cap therapy during her cancer treatment when the Princess made an emotional return visit to the Royal Marsden back in January.
There was a buzz in the air, then a hush, as the Prince and Princess arrived with Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, ten, and seven-year-old Louis, to take their seats at the front.
Then the service began, as it has done previously, with the lone voice of a young chorister, singing the first verse of Once in Royal David’s City, followed by the choir and then the entire congregation. But there were plenty of modern twists on this very traditional service too, which gives you an insight into the way that William and Catherine approach their roles – they care about the importance of tradition but want to bring in fresh elements which will resonate with a wider audience.
Fittingly for the future head of the Church of England, the Prince gave a Bible reading about the birth of Christ. But it followed non-religious readings and reflections. Alongside the soaring organ music and angelic voices of choristers, pop singers including the Bastille frontman Dan Smith and Griff sang, and young dancers from Platinum Perfomers, a performing arts group based in Edmonton, north London, weaved their way down the aisle. Their smiles were so infectious that they were given a spontaneous round of applause.
“There were plenty of modern twists on this very traditional service too, which gives you an insight into the way that William and Catherine approach their roles”
For over five years now, the Princess has pulled off a wonderful festive treat for her guests, and somehow this one felt more personal than ever. The inside front cover of the Order of Service read: “This Service is dedicated to you and the love you have shown.” The back said simply: “Love is enough.”
That’s it from me for now. I’ll be back in the New Year, but our Royal Clubber Audrey, who watched the guest and royal arrivals outside the Abbey, also had some thoughts to share…
Emily’s post-concert reaction
Audrey’s perspective from outside the Abbey
I was very excited to be in London on Friday in time to soak up the atmosphere around
Westminster Abbey ahead of the Princess of Wales’ signature Together at Christmas carol service. As I approached the Abbey around 3:45, the sun was already beginning to set, and the twilight cast a fairytale glow as the guests began to line up for security checks at the back of the Abbey and wind their way around to the entrance. A brass band was playing Christmas carols, which made the wait festive and heightened anticipation. Many guests were hurrying toward the line and I heard a few ask their partner if they were sure they had the ticket!
The guests ranged widely in age, dress, and from what I could hear, accent, but they all looked very proud, honored and touched by the experience. The line and music, as well as the cluster of photographers, generated a lot of interest from the
crowd walking by – quite a few people leaving work or heading out with friends stopped to ask what the event was for. When they found out it was for the Princess’ concert, each one of them had a smile and a kind word, a testament to the high regard in which she is held by the public.
At 4pm, the policemen at the front of the Abbey opened the gates, and the brace of
photographers and royal watchers sharpened their focus, as we knew it meant the arrival of someone special. A policeman on motorcycle hurried through the gates, followed by a black SUV with a trailing car with flashing lights, and the Princess emerged alone. When she got out you could see a great constellation of camera flashes, and the crowd cheered!
The Prince and their children arrived about 45 minutes later, also with leading policemen on motorcycles and a trailing car, and they were greeted with the same camera flashes and cheers Princess came out to meet them, and they entered the Abbey together as the program began.
It was a raw chilly night, with rain starting to fall toward the end, so it was particularly
heartwarming to see the enthusiasm of the crowd who stayed to support not just the Wales family, but an event honoring the quiet acts of service and compassion that so many people offer to society without fanfare. I don’t think any other public figure could host something of the same magnitude and poignancy. As I left to hurry to the Tube and out of the rain, I left with a full heart.
Further reading
Andrew has perfected the art of legal foot-dragging
How lovely!