The Princess of Wales to host Together at Christmas carols concert in December, Kensington Palace confirms

The Princess of Wales will host her Together at Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey, Kensington Palace has announced.

It will be the fourth time Catherine has fronted the event and just her sixth public appearance of the year.

Confirmation of the princess' attendance at the concert – which will take place on December 6 – comes after she began a slow return to official duties in October following the completion of chemotherapy.

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In a statement, Kensington Palace said this year's concert would provide "a moment to reflect upon the importance of love and empathy, and how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives".

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The 42-year-old was diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer in March following abdominal surgery in January.

Kate withdrew from the public to undergo treatment and all of her official duties either cancelled or put on hold.

She has made just a handful of public appearances in 2024: Trooping the Colour in June, Wimbledon in July, a visit to Southport in October, and last week joined the royal family for the Festival of Remembrance, followed by Remembrance Sunday commemorations.

The princess has also attended a few private meetings inside Windsor Castle.

The Together at Christmas concert will be a triumphant return for Kate, who has made the annual celebration one of the highlights of the year.

It will be held at Westminster Abbey and will air on ITV on Christmas Eve.

In previous years, the Prince and Princess of Wales have taken their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

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In 2022, the King and Queen supported the Princess of Wales at the event.

The wider royal family are regular guests including the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, Zara and Mike Tindall and Sophie Winkleman and Lord Frederick Windsor.

Kate's family – including parents Carole and Michael Middleton, sister Pippa and brother James – also attend the event.

The palace said the concert, which is supported by The Royal Foundation, would "shine a light on individuals from all over the UK who have shown love, kindness and empathy towards others in their communities".

"Her Royal Highness wanted to celebrate the many people supporting those in need – individuals who have inspired, counselled, comforted, and above all else shown that love is the greatest gift we can receive," it said.

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"This theme takes inspiration from the Christmas story which encourages us to consider the experiences of others and the important human need of giving and receiving empathy."

The abbey will welcome 1600 people who have supported their communities and musical performances by Paloma Faith, Olivia Dean and Gregory Porter.

Decorations inside will be inspired by nature, which has become a theme of the princess' recovery journey.

In early September, the Princess of Wales appeared in a family video announcing the end of her chemotherapy and expressing her focus on "doing what I can to stay cancer free".

The video was largely filmed outside at the Wales' family's Norfolk estate and at the nearby beach.

And in June the princess was photographed leaning on a large tree close to her Windsor home along with an update that she was experiencing "good days and bad days", adding that she was "not out of the woods yet".

For the first time this year, fifteen Together at Christmas community carol services will be taking place across the UK, including at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro and Blackpool Tower Circus.