The Duchess of Cambridge to host community carol service

The Duchess of Cambridge to host community carol service

The Duchess of Cambridge will host a Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey on Wednesday 8th December, supported by The Royal Foundation, to recognise and celebrate the incredible work of individuals and organisations across the nation who have stepped up to support their communities through the pandemic.

Spearheaded by The Duchess, the service will be a celebration of life in our communities, and illustrate how acts of kindness, empathy and love can nurture and reconnect us. Filmed for broadcast, it will be a moment for the nation to come together and look back on the last eighteen months, to think not only of the unprecedented challenges that we have all faced as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to remember the positives: people and organisations pulling together in their communities, the small acts of kindness across different demographics and generations, and the unsung heroes who stepped up to help others.

The event will bring together inspirational individuals from across the UK who have gone above and beyond to care for and protect those in need during the pandemic. They will be joined by those working in some of the key areas that Her Royal Highness and The Royal Foundation continue to focus on, including promoting the importance of mental health, supporting families and driving awareness of and action on the extraordinary impact of the early years. Guests will range from those involved in grassroots community initiatives, charity workers and volunteers, to teachers, emergency responders and armed forces personnel.

The congregation will also include guests who may be more vulnerable or isolated in our communities – including people with limited social connections, the recently bereaved or those without their own homes.

The service will feature carols performed by the world-renowned Westminster Abbey choir alongside readings and musical performances by a variety of guests, blending traditional elements with a modern and inclusive feel to encompass people of all faiths and none. It will also incorporate poignant personal reflections, exploring how lockdown reminded us about the importance of human connection and what it means, as families, communities and as a nation, to be together and to feel united to help one another through times of hardship or uncertainty.

The service has been developed and delivered in partnership with Westminster Abbey and BBC Studios Events Productions, who will produce the carol service for broadcast by ITV as part of a special programme in December.

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