Kate’s Carol Service Message: You were there for me.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, is hosting her annual Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey on Friday – the biggest event of her return to royal duties after finishing chemotherapy.

It’s a candlelit, festive occasion, but also with some hesitation – as it comes at the end of a year of health problems for the princess and some of the guests who have had a tough time. what is

Among the 1,600 guests will be families affected by the Southport knife attack, and a candlelight vigil will be held by Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, who has been diagnosed with cancer.

The Prince of Wales will present a Bible reading, and actor Richard E. Grant will read an excerpt from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

Performers at the Together at Christmas service will include Paloma Faith, Olivia Dean and Gregory Porter, along with guests who have worked hard to help others in their communities.

Among them is 18-year-old Olivia Bowditch, from Dorset, who volunteers for a charity that sends letters to cancer patients at risk of loneliness and isolation.

Also at the carol service will be Londoner Diven Halai, who has a serious lung condition but ran the London Marathon with an oxygen machine as a charity fundraiser.

Five World War Two veterans will attend, including Bernard Morgan, 100, from Crewe, who landed in Normandy on D-Day.

Other royal guests pictured include Lord Frederick Windsor, his wife, Sophie Winkelman and their two daughters, as well as the Duchess of Edinburgh.

The Abbey, decorated with Christmas trees from Windsor Great Park, will host a service with traditional carols, music, readings and prayers, emphasizing the importance of compassion and kindness.

Catherine has written a letter to guests saying that the message of Christmas is about promoting “love, not fear”.

“Love is the light that can shine even in our darkest times,” writes Princess.

The Order of Service sends the same message of sympathy, with a specially commissioned illustration by Charlie Maxey.

Example: “How did I help?” With the answer: “You were with me, that was everything”. This sentiment conveys a message of solidarity for those in need at the carol concert.

Prince William is helping others with a visit to homelessness charity Passage in Westminster this week.

The prince, who has been involved with the charity since first visiting there with his mother Diana, helped prepare a Christmas dinner for the charity’s clients.

Leo Scanlon, who was at the dinner, praised the prince for how he spoke to people and the questions he asked: “He clearly understands homelessness and the issues around it.”

The prince has described this year as “brutal” for his family, and the carol service will focus on his wife Catherine, as she continues her recovery after finishing chemotherapy.

Every step of her return to public life has made headlines, but this week she will be seen at two big events – the Emir of Qatar’s state visit and this carol service.

More than any event so far this year, this concert will put the princess at the center rather than in a supporting role. This will be his big personal moment.