A year ago, we were informed that the then-Duchess of Cambridge was hard at “work” organizing a very special and very keen Christmas Carol program. The scandal in November 2021 was that Prince William threw a tantrum about the Christmas program being shown on the BBC, so Kate “pulled” it from the Beeb and “gave” it to ITV to be shown on Christmas Eve. The program was prerecorded in mid-December 2021 and dutifully aired on Christmas Eve. It was not a “success” from a broadcasting or ratings perspective, but Kate was very keen and she also “played the piano,” although that piano recital bit was recorded a day before the actual filming. The British media fell all over themselves to praise her piano recital. Well, the whole “royal Christmas special” thing was seen as such a success that Kensington Palace is organizing a second special with the Keens.
The Princess of Wales will serve up another festive TV treat this Christmas as she hosts a second carol concert at Westminster Abbey. Last year Kate surprised viewers by accompanying singer Tom Walker on a grand piano, in a segment recorded ahead of the heartwarming ceremony.
This year’s carol service will take place on 15 December and will pay tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II as well as the “selfless efforts” of people and communities across the UK. Members of the royal family will join the Princess for the special event, which will be broadcast on ITV on Christmas Eve.
The programme will blend the modern with the traditional, with carols sung by the world-renowned Westminster Abbey Choir alongside musical performances and readings from special guests.
Announcing the service, Kensington Palace said it would recognise the “selfless efforts” of people and communities across the UK” and highlight “the remarkable impact that coming together to support others can have for us all.”
It added: “This year’s service will also pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the values she demonstrated throughout her life, including empathy, compassion and support for others. These principles are shared and personified by the inspirational guests who have been invited to the Abbey from across the UK in recognition of their tireless efforts to help and care for those around them.”
Guests will include charity workers and grassroots community volunteers, frontline workers and members of the armed forces and have been nominated by Lord-Lieutenants across the UK. Others will represent charities associated with the royal family, including some of the late Queen’s patronages. Also in the congregation will be people working on some of the issues closest to Kate’s heart, such as early childhood and mental health, along with people who may be more isolated or vulnerable and might find the winter particularly challenging.
Again, I don’t actually have a problem with the actual “Christmas special” and the royals making a show of doing something festive and all of that. It’s fine. My issues are: why is Kate getting sole credit for something for which other people have organized AND why does Kate insist on making this all about herself? Last year’s Royal Carols program would have been fine on its own, but it became Kate Presents Royal Christmas Carols With A Performance By Kate! There was wall-to-wall coverage of what amounted to an amateur piano recital by Kate, rather than a charity-focused holiday event.
I also think this will be used as an excuse for why we aren’t seeing much of Kate in November and December – she’s “preparing” the Christmas special, she’s “taking meetings” for the program, she’s “organizing” it behind-the-scenes. Hide the doll wigs, hide the cellos and hide The Nutcracker set, Kate’s gonna make it all about KEEN once again.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Instar, Kensington Royal’s social media.
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- North America Rights Only/Special Restrictions Apply-Please See Caption – London, UK -20211224-Royal Carols – Together At Christmas Copyright is this image is jointly vested in The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Alex Bramall. Please credit Alex Bramall. Not for use after 31st December 2021 without prior permission from Kensington Palace. News editorial use only; no commercial use including any use in merchandising, advertising or any other non-editorial use; no charge should be made for the supply, release or publication of the photographs; image must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified and must include all of the individuals in the photograph when published. The Duchess of Cambridge accompanies singer Tom Walker on the piano during a performance of his song ‘For Those Who Can’t Be Here’. This was pre-recorded in the Chapter House at Westminster Abbey, the day before The Duchess’ carol service and the performance features in Royal Carols: Together At Christmas, which was broadcast by ITV on Christmas Eve 2021. Issue date: Friday December 24, 2021. -PICTURED: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge -PHOTO by: Alex Bramall/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only/Special Restrictions Apply-Please See Caption – London, UK -20211224-Royal Carols – Together At Christmas Copyright is this image is jointly vested in The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Alex Bramall. Please credit Alex Bramall. Not for use after 31st December 2021 without prior permission from Kensington Palace. News editorial use only; no commercial use including any use in merchandising, advertising or any other non-editorial use; no charge should be made for the supply, release or publication of the photographs; image must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified and must include all of the individuals in the photograph when published. The Duchess of Cambridge accompanies singer Tom Walker on the piano during a performance of his song ‘For Those Who Can’t Be Here’. This was pre-recorded in the Chapter House at Westminster Abbey, the day before The Duchess’ carol service and the performance features in Royal Carols: Together At Christmas, which was broadcast by ITV on Christmas Eve 2021. Issue date: Friday December 24, 2021. -PICTURED: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge -PHOTO by: Alex Bramall/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – London, UK -20211208- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attend Together At Christmas Community Carol Service held at Westminster Abbey. -PICTURED: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William -PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only – London, UK -20211208- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attend Together At Christmas Community Carol Service held at Westminster Abbey. -PICTURED: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William -PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- Previously unissued photo dated 08/12/21 of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge taking part in ‘Royal Carols – Together At Christmas’, a Christmas carol concert hosted by the duchess at Westminster Abbey in London, which will be broadcast on Christmas Eve on ITV. Issue date: Wednesday December 22, 2021. Led by the duchess, and supported by The Royal Foundation, the service was attended by those Kate and William had spent time with during recent engagements, as well as members of the armed forces involved in Operation Pitting, young carers, faith leaders and those who may have been more vulnerable or isolated during the pandemic.,Image: 649207573, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- North America Rights Only/Special Restrictions Apply-Please See Caption – London, UK -20211224-Royal Carols – Together At Christmas Copyright is this image is jointly vested in The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Alex Bramall. Please credit Alex Bramall. Not for use after 31st December 2021 without prior permission from Kensington Palace. News editorial use only; no commercial use including any use in merchandising, advertising or any other non-editorial use; no charge should be made for the supply, release or publication of the photographs; image must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified and must include all of the individuals in the photograph when published. The Duchess of Cambridge accompanies singer Tom Walker on the piano during a performance of his song ‘For Those Who Can’t Be Here’. This was pre-recorded in the Chapter House at Westminster Abbey, the day before The Duchess’ carol service and the performance features in Royal Carols: Together At Christmas, which was broadcast by ITV on Christmas Eve 2021. Issue date: Friday December 24, 2021. -PICTURED: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge -PHOTO by: Alex Bramall/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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- North America Rights Only/Special Restrictions Apply-Please See Caption – London, UK -20211224-Royal Carols – Together At Christmas Copyright is this image is jointly vested in The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Alex Bramall. Please credit Alex Bramall. Not for use after 31st December 2021 without prior permission from Kensington Palace. News editorial use only; no commercial use including any use in merchandising, advertising or any other non-editorial use; no charge should be made for the supply, release or publication of the photographs; image must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified and must include all of the individuals in the photograph when published. The Duchess of Cambridge accompanies singer Tom Walker on the piano during a performance of his song ‘For Those Who Can’t Be Here’. This was pre-recorded in the Chapter House at Westminster Abbey, the day before The Duchess’ carol service and the performance features in Royal Carols: Together At Christmas, which was broadcast by ITV on Christmas Eve 2021. Issue date: Friday December 24, 2021. -PICTURED: Catherine Duchess of Cambridge -PHOTO by: Alex Bramall/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
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I never realised just how long and bouncy her hair was here. Would really love her to try a pixie cut or at least a posh spice bob.
She won’t though…not while Meghan has long bouncy hair.
Persephone, yep yep and LoL.
100% accurate!
Why does everyone hate her hair so much?😂 Aside from the unblended wiglets and the bad coloring it usually escapes my notice. It gets ripped in the comments regularly though
I think you answered your own question there.
That made me laugh, Becks1, thank you – it’s pouring with rain here in the UK and I needed a smile. And I’m not being mean, Steph! I think it’s what you’ve noticed plus, for me, it’s how long it is. It must take ages in upkeep, hurt because of weight and pull?, and it just looks like curtains.
@sparrow no worries! I’m amused by it. A lot of ppl have an issue with the length but I feel like any length with still include the unblended wiglets and bad dye job. It’s just funny to me how much people hate her hair. It’s like @kaiser with bangs. Hates them!
@Steph lol I admit that I laughed at your question, because you’re like I know its an awful wiglet and not blended and awful colors but…..why do we hate it?
I also think at this point its just a running joke on here, like, she has so much money and access to the BEST of everything and…..that’s what it looks like?
I think it’s a bit young for a 40 year old woman. It reminds me of those Victorian dolls with ringlets.
*snort*
The only time anyone defends Kitty with any sort of the “eye of the tiger”, it’s about her hair.
Bless.
Most of that is not Kate’s hair. That’s bundles.
I often wonder how scraggly her real hair must be. With her unhealthily thin weight, her real hair must be struggling.
@Snuffles: And because of that I believe she wears actual wigs sometimes. I think on some parts of the Caribbean tour and at the Top Gun premiere she was wearing a wig. Nothing wrong with wearing wigs btw. If she wants to protect her actual hair it’s fine to wear one.
During the dating years her hair was pretty thin and dull. It cracks me up that her “fans” think this is her natural hair.
Yes, comparing to the dating years it’s clear that this is NOT all her own hair. Also none of her family members have this crazy thick and lustrous hair. I have naturally super thick hair and guess what? So do my siblings and parents. You don’t just randomly have one person in a family with amazing thick hair.
@cate exactly. Your hair does not get thicker in your 40s from when you were in your 20s.
Too. Much. Hair.
HER HAIR was my main reaction to those photos. Wow.
Yeah she uses extensions/wiglets to add some bounce to her hair which fine okay. I personally don’t mind/care. But there is a such a thing as “too much” and that is what’s happening here.
It pulls down her face, which is the last thing she needs. Perhaps she is trying to hide her face. She’s in a never ending hair cycle.
I think it’s like a security blanket for her. Gives her something to fiddle with and, as you said, to hide behind. It’s pissing rain here on Vancouver Island too so thanks for all the humorous comments to lighten a glum day fellow CBers!
It wasn’t exactly a roaring success last year. It was dull, she couldn’t even do her very simple piano routine live, and everyone was sat there freezing cold in the huge cathedral looking like they’d rather be anywhere else.
And then everyone at home watched The Repair Shop instead.
Still, I suppose it gives this utterly useless woman something to do.
Why can’t they make this a fundraising event? Like the money that these tv broadcasters make with this Christmas special will be donated to foodbank(s) or maybe a mental health charity. You, completely in the spirit of Christmas?
Because they would have to share the spotlight with the charities. Its not like they actually care about any of the charities or initiatives they patron.
Because that would mean Kitty would actually have to, and god forbid, do some work! All she wants is gleaming reviews and all eyes on her without putting any of the hard effort into it. I have no idea why ITV have green-lit this for a second year when the ratings were just awful last time.
Why can’t they make this a fundraising event? Because it would defeat the purpose of hijacking the magic of Christmas into a Queen Catherine-centered ritualistic annual self-celebratory event.
Not only is the girl jealous of Meghan, she is competing with Santa himself. She’s set to repeatedly force her presence until the English collective imagination transfers every Santa’s virtue onto her persona. Catherine the great is building holiness, or so she thinks.
In the meantime, the charities might suffer from insufficient exposure while kate stages her delusions of self-importance.
This should go down real well at a time when citizens there are dealing with hardship. She’s going to out do Marie Antoinette at this rate and Marie was a nicer human being.
@TheRecluse- I remember reading that the ratings were dismal….. And that the BBC actually didn’t WANT it, they know ratings napalm when they see it….. didn’t they GET ITV to take it, and then pretended like it was because they were just so mad at the BBC….?
Also I don’t recall seeing ANYTHING about the Healthcare workers it was supposed to celebrate. It was all Kate and her family. I don’t even think they credited the other piano player, at least not in a way that made it clear it was not just Kate playing
Let’s hope that this year’s concert will be focused on the charities and not on Kate. Another thing, I’ve noticed that William and Kate have co-opted Harry and Meghan’s platform of compassion, empathy and community. Just as Kate has a Meghan lookbook I’m sure William and Kate are regular visitors to the Archewell website.
Has she been wearing different winglets recently? Her hair looks exceptionally full lately. Kates fake hair is what mine looks like naturally: long, thick, with lots of body. I will say while I like it, the upkeep is very hard. She would look so much better with a dark sleek bob. I think it would really suit her.
She has all the time in the world to spend with her hairdresser bit like Marie Antoinette
But then she would look like an actual adult woman instead of fairy princess. And she will pose as a “princess” probably looong into her 50ties.
Sorry @Amy I didn’t mean my comments to reply to you. Apologies! I haven’t had my coffee yet!
Yes I’ve noticed that 🙄. Don’t their advisors come with any original ideas or do they literally just follow archewell?
Anyway I think the idea of regular Christmas carol service celebrating key workers etc is a lovely idea. I remember her birthday profile said she would be adored like the queen mother & royal family supporting types would eat it up. Plus at least this would be her doing something.
My issue is that the little I saw didn’t really highlight the charities or community workers etc. All the PR seemed to be about Kate & her festive glances & piano playing. So that’s my issue with it.
Peggs and Jeggs can only copy a look and even that is done poorly. They’re too lazy and self-absorbed to highlight a charity for real. Like why the eff would you have a crazy azz production when there’s a col crisis and food banks are empty? Why not cut all production costs and donate actual money to food banks and charities. They want to look like they care without having to actually do anything. I hope they’re overthrown.
I am sure the people at ITV is not expecting a ratings bonanza from this one, but maybe Billy The Kid can organize a BAFTA for them? Best Keeness Award perhaps?
I think that’s why she’s billing this as a tribute to Queen Elizabeth this year. So people will want to watch it.
I had a friend who used to work for Martha Stewart and she complained she never got credit for her work. Like, it’s not Martha Stewart & Friends. If a member of the BRF puts their name on something, it’s just their name.
My godmother was hired by Martha to do a series of gorgeous wall paintings/decorations. It was featured either in the show when it was in or her magazine and Martha took full credit.
I think she’s going to try to make this her “thing,” the way the Queen had her Christmas day speech. I think Kate is hoping that people will make this a part of their annual holiday traditions, tuning in to watch her concert on Christmas Eve. And I just don’t think that’s going to happen? Last year it was all about Kate and the Middletons; if it continues that way, I imagine it will just be a turn off for people. All the coverage last year was on Kate, the piano playing, and her family.
oh oh oh! I wonder if we will get another “festive glance” this year between her and William!!
And I’ll say that the draw of this program for me would be seeing Westminster Abbey decorated for the holidays, but even that wasn’t enough of a draw apparently to get people to watch it.
From these photos, it looks like they want us to believe that Kate did the decorating, too.
Damn it Becks, that was my very first reaction and you beat me to it!!
Forget her hair, will we get another “festive glance”
Yup this will definitely become her “big ticket” item.
And they’ll somehow convince everyone that she’s doing something really special and groundbreaking.
What can we expect this year from Kate? Maybe she’ll sing a rousing rendition of “all I want for Christmas” or we’ll learn she’s the best harp player in the world..
Kate still hasn’t replicated Diana’s surprise on-stage dance for Charles birthday. So my vote is Kate in a tutu doing the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker. Pre-filmed and wearing a big crown as an homage to the Queen.
I hope she does.not sing but she might get cute and sing Santa baby
Yes, she or their juvenile team are thinking that it could be a tradition for her. People can organize it, perform and she can take credit. Except it will also become a such a “chore” for her every year that she will have to skip a few years. So people don’t expect her to work this much every.single.year.
I predict the whole family will sing a Christmas carol with a choir. Kate and William always use their children, but singing kids are absolutely win-win.
Yep.. this is “her thing” from now on. It’ll be an “annual tradition” and I do thing it will eventually become a success. I do think the media has done a really solid job of propping her up and the general public do like her. The whole family will be there to show support since it’s being billed as tribute to the Queen. The televised event was not a ratings success but it was very successful on social media. Again they will have charities but all the focus will be on Kate. That’s all she wants. It’s a win win for her.
She’s trying to cling to anything that keeps her in wiglets, buttons, and gaudy jewels. The more out front she puts hers the more I think Peggs is trying to put her out to pasture. She looks on edge and drugged up. Plus Chuck is petty petty, he wants revenge for the skip chuck stories that the Midds put out.
Maybe she’ll do the Jingle Bell Rock number from “Mean Girls”. Except instead of a sexy Santa outfit, she’ll sport a Mrs. Claus number and wear velvet from her neck to her ankles. Lots of opportunities for ruffles and buttons.
L84Tea, Kate has a sexy santa outfit. She bought it during the dating decade one year, along with risque pasta and other things. Clearly wanted to be caught shopping for those objects. Surely the daughter of Carol(E) of PP mail order could have bought them another way if she didn’t want paps catching her in the act. There were many times during that decade Kate/Midds/Uncle Gary really pushed the Sexy Girlfriend isn’t Billy lucky angle publicly. So tacky, but that’s the Midds for you.
Wasn’t there *another* piano player there, playing *with* her?? I seem to remember that.
Also, who’s taking bets that this year she’ll be wearing green, as last year it was that red duplicated dress (from the black one).
Yes, she’ll alternate from red to green every year. Maybe she will wear a green dress with a red sash, or dress up as a fully wrapped present with a red and green tartan bow across her bosom.
It could be such a fun event, but she will suck all the life and joy out of it (as usual) and boil it down into the most mundane affair ever. And the family will have to sit there shivering in muted dark colors so that no one else gets a second glance. UGH.
@becks1 that was my thought too, this is her version of the speech.
We watched a bit of it last year but honestly we were just channel hopping (and that was only to see what she was wearing / count buttons). If people were actually thanked and it raised awareness of their work and the work of various charities I would watch again. Introduce us to who has been invited to attend, tell us about their work and their charities. The thing I always loved about Meghan is the awareness she gave to lesser known charities – so tell us about the work going on and how we can help.
And you know, that’s not the worst idea from her people, but I don’t know – who watches TV on Christmas Eve? My family occasionally did movies, but mostly we were out. The appeal of the Queen’s Christmas message (and British TV’s special episodes etc) is that you can veg out and watch after present-opening and/or to recover from a hangover.
But it is a way to get her working, and she can pre-tape a lot of it. As for a festive glance? I wouldn’t be surprised if William doesn’t even show cuz it’s “her” event. He seemed put out last year when she got so much attention. You know there will be a whole row of Middletons, though!
My impression was that Peg looked surprised and embarrased by the piano thing.
A Christmas concert and cresting an annual tradition isn’t a bad idea. And if they can include the charities in a meaningful way, like include a rep from each charity to speak and introduce them with a short overview of the charity’s mission and include a website with links to all charities featured in the program, then this would be a great event. And if she got a few stars to sing then it would be interesting. They don’t have to be Adele, but at least someone most people have heard of.
Oh who am I kidding? It’ll be Kate on the piano and then mumbling through a few readings.
Charities really aren’t on her radar.
Yes, I was thinking the same thing. Kate’s in it for the long haul and needs to create a “tradition,” not just random stabs at this or that.
@Eurydice, lol, she’s so basic. She’s thinking she needs to have a signature “tradition,” so her mind automatically goes to “Christmas!”
The IG has become a tradition all its own. I can’t even remember what time of year it takes place, but that’s irrelevant— people will watch regardless. Because of the content.
Move over, Mariah Carey, here comes Mariah Katie co-opting the Christmas season with her special seasonal tunes.
I would place a bet that she will wear a tiara this year. It’s funny but last year I read how absolutely dismal the ratings were with the numbers and success of Princess Meghan and Prince Harry’s projects you would think that they would be embarrassed.
While hosting a Christmas Carol special isn’t a bad idea she made it all about herself. The fake piano playing was an exercise in vanity and the UK media ignored the kids and causes for Kate showcasing herself.
The focus should be on the kids singing and the charities.
It’s also amazingly hypocritical how no one in the UK media called out the narcissism of centring a Christmas special on meagre piano skills when a British child with far more skill could have played with pop star.
I think you are correct. Kate will turn this into her “thing” — it’s a convenient excuse to not work for months on end (she’s too busy “working” on the all-important annual Christmas concert to do anything else). And it is a way for her to make Christmas all about HER. Imagine something as popular and momentous as Christmas being all about Kate!
All this really shows to the world, is how useless the royals are.
This farce is unbelievable. If you would have told me 7 years ago this would happen….. I would have chuckled. I thought IT would have matured as a woman…especially as a mother. Motherhood tends to open a woman’s eyes
Kate’s fall hairpiece was really working overtime here—so obvious.
Wonder if it gets it’s own stipend from the SG for all it’s work doing the heavy lifting on her head.
Should have its own CC page as well. Works harder than Kate.
Look, if the UK enjoys this fake shit, what do I care? They can have their expensive, useless symbols. Just leave Harry and Meghan alone.
But we don’t particularly enjoy it! At all. It got really low figures. I wonder why ITV is doing it again
– perhaps they signed a deal for a Kate Christmas for years to come.
I don’t think they do! The terrible ratings that Kate’s last “recital” got proves that!
On a totally different subject, I came across a VERY interesting yougov poll, from right after Harry & Meghan announced they were stepping down as royals, and according to this poll, roughly 45% supported H&M, 25% did not support, and 30% didn’t have an opinion.
Not that I’ve ever thought that yougov polls ALWAYS fully represent the people of the UK, but those statistics sure are interesting….not to mention the OPPOSITE of what was put out at the time…….
If there’s a word that can never be applied to Willnot and Kannot it’s ‘selfless’. I love some irony with my lunch.
Are these broadcasting networks not allowed to say no to the BRF? Why would ITV agree to this again instead of airing something that might be profitable?
Maybe they agree to this in hopes to access to something better in the future with the royals. And it could be they know that time on Christmas Eve won’t be a ratings bonanza anyway, so again they agree to it in the hopes of staying on the royal family’s good side.
My guess is its an access issue (iTV doesn’t want to be blackballed etc by the royals) and that Christmas Eve is probably pretty low in terms of ratings anyway so why not.
Maybe every year she’s going to learn a new instrument to play at Christmas. My money is on harp for this year.
I’m going for castanets or triangle with a red ribbon at the top.
OK I just snorted my coffee!!
I can’t wait for the Tuba year!!
I’m holding out for trombone.
I went back to youtube to watch Kate play, and she’s fine? For Those Who Can’t Be Here is pretty much nothing but simple chords and I’m not a pianist (although I can play enough to do basic music things adjacent to my actual instruments) so I can’t comment too much on technique.
What caught me was that it appeared she had four pages (short pages, too) spread out open for her, which is interesting because it means she can’t play and turn the pages and didn’t memorise the piece enough to turn the pages at a natural resting point. So I assume she used to play in school and dusted out the piano for this event. I can bust out my cello and play Saint Saens’ The Swan but I won’t make it far without practice, and this is the same kind of thing. I’m sure she rehearsed a lot but going from nothing to performing on TV is a steep curve and she was clearly lacking in confidence or she wouldn’t have needed the sheet music.
I’m pretty sure I could have played what she played, which means she is not exactly TV special piano accompaniment material. I guess it was her reward for a robust year of being Kate.
I agree with what you are saying – and what @Miranda says below. Her playing was fine, especially if she is either just learning piano or she played as a child and is starting to pick it up again. (I played as a child and I could have played that piece Kate played, just with a little bit of practice first obviously.) her piece was recorded separately so wonder how many takes it took to get through?
To me, this is just another thing like her photography and her hair etc. Her piano playing was fine. It was basic and fine. But the reaction from the stans and the press was absurd, like she was this secret virtuoso and she was saving Christmas with her playing or something. If the press just treated her more normally, I think some of us would react differently.
The piano playing itself was fine. What I thought was odd about the whole thing was that…Kate was born in the 80s but the entire performance seemed unnecessarily old fashioned. Her clothing, her posture, the candles, the grand piano…it’s just so very, very Edwardian. I realize the bulk of the show took place at Westminster Abbey and it’s a challenge to be modern in such a space, but that was my main takeaway. It just seemed creaky and strange. And boring. That was the biggest sin, I think: the song was boring, she’s boring playing it, and it wasn’t live anyway, so who cares? Anyway, I hope there are more “festive glances” this year.
Professional piano players were calling her out and saying she wasn’t really playing. I believe them since they are professional.
I have to admit I didn’t catch much of a look at her hands because they seemed to be avoiding showing them, but in those shots I think it was definitely her hands playing the keys, mostly because her hand posture wasn’t great. Because I’m not a pianist I’m not sure how to describe the correct posture but your wrists shouldn’t be flush with the keyboard, they should be higher.
It’s not necessarily a sign she’s an amateur, for example I always got in trouble for my flat fingers when I was in music school for cello and my retort was always that the greatest cellist in the world plays with flat fingers (which he does to this day), but it’s definitely not the typical posture of an experienced player.
I totally understand putting her on display if it’s a hobby, because ‘Duchess plays piano’ is a cute angle. However, judging from what little I can see it’s not really even that for her. Playing once a year doesn’t count as a hobby.
Yeah I’m skeptical she actually played. I’ve always been convinced that’s why it wasn’t live.
I agree. I doubt she was playing. Probably one of her staffers did it and she was faking it for the camera. That sounds very much like Kate.
They made sure to hide her finger movement from the camera which is the first sign that anything she might be playing wasn’t included in the track.
For how long has she actually played piano? Did she just learn a song or two for the occasion, or is it something she’s done since childhood? Because being something of an amateur (but lifelong) musician myself, I was cringing a little at the attention she got for that rather tentative performance. If she only started playing relatively recently and is having fun with it, that’s great! Picking up an instrument as an adult can be very challenging, and I applaud anyone who takes a shot at it. But people were falling all over themselves, as though she were Euterpe incarnate. It was a bit much. I don’t even think my own dad was that effusive about my efforts.
She did not play Chopin music she hot a few chords
My honest feeling is that if she wasn’t up to turning the pages she can’t have done much piano. I don’t play piano as an instrument but I started cello when I was 7 and by the time I was 8 I was more than capable of turning my own pages. She can’t have gotten too far into her musical education if she couldn’t do that. It’s an incredibly critical skill.
She wasn’t playing a concerto. I saw the sheet music and it was very simple. It was just chords so she mustn’t have much confidence if she couldn’t memorise it, at least enough that she can turn the pages without losing her place. It’s very Music 101, an absolute fundamental for any musician.
I mean, I’ve been playing piano for 37 years and I hate turning my own pages, so of all the things to knock her for, and there are many, that is actually the most relatable thing to me. If I had a four page piece to accompany, I would spread it out too.
With piano accompaniment the music tends to be consistent without many breaks and so having the pages lined out is what a lot of pianists do when they accompany others and aren’t the main focus.
That said, the piece for the piano based on the sheet music I have seen has two notes played in the left (C and G in the treble) and then one note in the right held for 2 counts while the left either does a CG then C in eight notes or CF and then C. It is beginner level and something a child with about two years of piano lessons could play especially with the sheet music.
A child would not need two years of piano lessons for that. I could play something that easy after a couple lessons when I was like 6, and I am in no way a prodigy. I didn’t even have real lessons — my mother showed me how to read sheet music and that was about it. And I doubt Kate even played that.
I think a child who started piano from scratch would need two years because playing two notes as a chord at once in the left and rocking back and forth with one note in the left would need some experience to be played evenly. And adult could learn that much easier. Also the sheet music I saw had the one note melody in the octave above middle C and it takes time for the children to recognize all the notes. But I am referring to children who have never learned how to read music or play piano at all.
To pretend that this piece required any significant skill from an adult who has taken piano lessons remains a joke.
Like I said, it’s the kind of thing I could do when I was about 6. Super duper easy.
Some articles state she completed grade 3 piano in the UK so in most places that is beginner. She wouldn’t be able to handle any Chopin or more complex Mozart or Beethoven. There is a clip of Diana sitting at a grand piano in Australia without music and she starts playing Rachmaninov, which shows she was very accomplished.
I just looked at the sheet music for the piano accompaniment for the song “for those who can’t be here”. It is super basic.
And if they had not acted like Kate was exceptional or a virtuoso this wouldn’t look as pathetic.
Not only did Diana not have any sheet music, she was not expecting to be playing at this event and was clearly embarrassed to have been roped into it, yet she sat down and started playing Rachmaninoff. Imagine how good she would have been if she had had some time to practice for the display!
The fact they make Kate out to be a good player is what cheeses me off about it. She has obviously had some lessons and can play a bit. Good for her! But don’t make her out to be better than she is, just because of who she married.
Kate’s amateur skills should not be the highlight of a Chrismas carol event. It draws attention to her in an inappropriate way. Her role is to highlight the skills and achievements or needs of others, not to draw attention to herself.
If kate could sit down and play Rachmaninov without music then she would be considered a good pianist. The overinflation of a basic piece of music as if it was Mozart was an utter embarrassment. Any trained pianist, amateur or professional could see the basic level of what she played. A child should have done it instead of a 40 year old woman who wanted to be praised for doing little.
In fact George or Charlotte had they taken piano lessons from a few years before would have been at the proper level to play that. That their mommy hogged the attention shows how sad she is.
Ms Early Years needs to do something festive for needy children. Make it about the children, Buttons, not your wiglet.
I would rather watch the burning yule logs TV station. But it sounds like the royalists make a big fuss over this as if she was a 10 year old giving her first piano recital. I assume her “performance” is pre-recorded to edit out the clinkers.
@Brassy Rebel LOL your first line! ITA!
Lol, @brassyrebel. We should see which one gets more views – 8 hours of a log or Kate’s holiday special.
Oh no. She will do her routine may be in Liberace type attire and the fans will be overoraising and ignoring the real performers
Sit – up – straight.
She has that big look at me grin.
She can have a chauffeur drop her off he can remove her cape and she will wear a crystal trimmed gown and grin like Liberace at her audience. Then play some piano chords then later sing the twelve days of Christmas with William
Are there any monies going to these charities from the Wailes? They have access to the Duchy of Cornwall funds so no excuse. I noticed the new king and queen consort are not announced they will be attending. You would think with this concert honoring the late queen her son and successor should be there. Game of Thrones is on.
When I look at these photos my first thought is ‘she killed Cousin It and is wearing him’.
It will be a flop like the one last year where it looked like William and her family turned up to see her perform in the school carole service (which wasn’t even live). It was the saddest affair ever.
Kate needs a “signature” event and this could be it. Even though ratings could be low, it may well be something that older “stay at homes” would enjoy. She would be separating herself from William’s activities and that might be a good thing as going forward she could still do this despite her marital status.
This imo is no signature event just something where Kate gets all the attention
Do you know what is interesting? William and Kate’s social media account. It’s been in shambles since the Queen’s departure. The Wales title did nothing for their image or popularity. They barely get 100,000 likes on most of their pictures together, and if it’s a video, they are lucky if they get 200,000 views. That’s pretty low for an account with over 14.5 million followers. Their New P.R. guy was a waste of money.
So Kate has to do more than banging the keys for her Christmas concert because people are not interested in the two of them.
100k likes and 200k views are all the bots they can afford right now. Money is tight until they can wrangle more money out of the charities or Earthshot for their Royal Foundation to pay for more bots.
The Monarchy is in trouble. The UK press use to brag about W&K Social media engagement. They no longer discuss that. Also, they are still buying followers. They purchased 400,000 since the queen’s passing. How do you have the lowest engagement in months but gained 400,000 subscribers? The math is not matching.
Omg I went to go look since I never check their account and holy crap it’s bad. They can’t even get to 100k. It’s more like 80k on a good day..There’s literally no engagement at all. Not even Kate videos are getting any likes…. Wow
Before it used to be atleast 200-300k for Kate alone and that’s low compared to what Harry and Meghan had.
I feel like the funeral and the support Meghan got really knocked the wind out of their sails…
Not even Harry Kane could get them engagement.
When you have nothing interesting to say and never work this is what happens. Lazy boring individuals.
@Mumsie That’s why they are panicking and putting stories out there that Meghan begged Kate to appear on her Podcast. They are pulling out all the stops, and it’s not hitting. Keep in mind, William and Kate both appeared on a podcast the same Tuesday as Meghan, and it backfired.
That’s been pretty standard for a few years now. That’s one of the reasons the NYT article listed for suspecting that KP was purchasing followrs, bc of the low interaction rate on the videos and such.
now I do think the numbers have dropped off even more, which I think is really just bc of how boring they are. If the kids aren’t featured, then the engagement rate is super low. And even the kids aren’t the draw they used to be from a social media perspective.
Its kind of ironic bc the more followers they buy, the more obvious it is that they are buying followers bc of the engagement numbers on IG.
It’s like people around her have been grumbling, “Jesus Christ, Kate,” but she thought they were whispering reverently, “Jesus Christ Kate!”
Oh right, Kate’s Kristmas Karol Special lol. I remember her hair driving me nuts last year, her styled waves just seemed chaotic and random and I completely forgot about that ugly Christmas sweater in the last picture! And that horrible red coat where she looked like a wrapped Christmas gift. It was okay in black for Philip’s funeral but in red it was awful. I think the idea of a Christmas concert special is nice but if it’s really meant to highlight charities and causes they support, I barely remember anything last year of people representing the charities attending the concert being highlighted at all. Maybe it was in the program, I didn’t see it.
And I do think the Middleton clan will be front and central. They’ve been sidelined for awhile because there has been clearly a cooling between Kate and William, during the Jubilee we only saw them at the Platinum Concert thing the last night of the Jubilee and they were all shoved into the very last row of the stands in the worst seats (that’s also when we discovered Pippa was pregnant! Otherwise we might never have known). Since this is Kate’s event, she calls the shots on where her family is seated (much to William’s great annoyance I bet).
The Middleton’s were front and centre last time, which is when we also noticed Baldy completely ignoring them when him & Keen arrived at the Abbey. This year should be interesting.
I thought it was interesting that Will completely ignored the Middletons when it’s said he is so close to them. Didn’t William lay his head on Carol’s lap while she fed him cheese toast?
I don’t think he was ever close to them, I thinks it’s Carol trying to erase Diana from his life. I think that whole family annoys him.
I think William has distanced himself from the Middletons since the rose affair. Carole’s role in crygate likely did not help either.
You don’t remember the charities and causes and their representatives last year because Khate had to make the concert all about her with the (pre-recorded!) piano ‘recital’.
Kate’s piano playing is very amateurish, and I feel second-hand embarrassment at all the embiggening. In contrast, there’s a video clip out there of Diana having played a little piano at a party and she’s flustered at the effusive praise because she knew her piano playing was not noteworthy and she was just having a little fun.
If it’s the same clip I have seen Diana sat down and played Rachmaninov by memory, which is a piece for a highly skilled pianist.
What Kate played was basic and pretending it was anything but was embarrassing.
I just took a stab at googling, and found the Rachmaninoff clip. Does not jog my memory of whether it’s the same one I saw before. There’s definitely skill in being able to sit down and play part of a piece like that from memory. It was casual and unpolished, but at least it demonstrates piano is an authentic and serious pasttime of hers. Kate’s piano playing is even less serious than her photography, but the press was hailing her performance as highly accomplished.
This makes me so cross.
A uninterested woman.plays a piano in a cold church for Christmas , great who who is interested in her who ??
In Smithfield Dublin , Capuchin Charity last Christmas handed out over 3000 vouchers to the needy in Dublin, people from.all walks of life queued in de damp cold weather….and while they queued we have this souless family playing a piano while the English people outside are really struggling following Brexit and the energy crisis…….no words, just f…..k off !
It will be a rip roaring success, because they say so?
Then on to the next, in the new year.
Please don’t bother, Kate love, and save us all from the pound-shop Billy Joel efforts.
What she “played” before was easier than Chopsticks, and I’m not convinced she played anything. I guess we’ll see how she’ll embarrass herself this time. For a family that’s laser-focused on optics, they sure are bad at them.
Instead of this egotistical nonsense, why can’t she just go and work at a Christmas food bank.or a shelter for a few days or even a week ?? Why ???
That’s a good point. Why doesn’t she go and help out with Church on the Street’s Christmas efforts. Pack some bags. Get some donations rolling in.
This is still trying to co-opt an existing programme’s popularity – and possibly decrease the cash they earn from ticket sales for *their* concert. There is already an annual Christmas concert by this Church choir, well-attended and well-known. What this does is add another date to their annual calendar of concerts that they’re ‘required’ to do because of the royal demand/command performance. But Keen had to demand her own completely separate sh!tshow they have to prepare for, instead of getting to do only their regular holiday concert and then get time to spend with family.
All right, I’ll do the job that Kate’s handlers are being paid to do.
Step #1: put out a message in early December with the children gathering toys for a charity. Let the kids talk about the importance of giving, and sharing with other children who are going through difficult times. List the charities they will be donating to, and make a video of Kate and the children going to said charity to drop off toys and books. Maybe even hold a charity event at the kids school, and take the gathered toys for the charity.
Step 2: 2nd week in december, put out a video of kate and kids making Christmas cookies. Put the recipe on their instagram account. Better yet, do an instagram live of cookie making with kids. Mention another charity that’s food related. Encourage everyone to donate food to the charity. Picture of Kate and kids taking cookies and lots of canned goods to the charities.
Step 3: planning the christmas event with online help. Ask for requests for songs to be sung/music to be played ay Christmas concert. The kids will sing the Christmas song that gets the most votes. Post a video of them practicing the song. Kids make a pile of warm clothes they have outgrown, to be taken to a charity–they encourage others to give warm clothes to other charities as well–by the way, each child could be the “lead” for each activity suggested here, even though all kids participate. This can blunt the heir and spare associations if people see all of the kids featured.
step 4: christmas concert. Kate plays “Mary Had a Little lamb” on the piano, kids sing. Maybe get a multicultural kids choir to join the concert. Have the Wales kids sing the one carol with them.
My plan allows the public to see the kids in a very controlled environment, but still lets the public in to their world. People want authenticity, even if it’s heavily curated. Their kids are still young and cute enough to be sources of interest to the public. If they can show themselves as a family, doing the things that other families do, they can earn the love of the people that they need. This should all be up Kate’s alley. It requires very little effort on her part, and she would be praised to the heavans for it. She can gain a voice, her kids can gain a voice. They can look like they actual care about people. They need people to talk about them on their own merits, not in terms of Harry and Meghan. They have a platform, their the FK and QC for heaven’s sake. People want stability, and they take comfort in tradition. This is such a no-brainer that I’ll be really shocked if they don’t do something like this (I won’t be shocked–these people really are that clueless).
Excellent ideas Lanne!!!
Don’t be ridiculous Lanne, from my reading that is FOUR consecutive working weeks, during peak ski season no less!
Aw, hell no. Who told her she could play the piano? She’s such a dilettante and poseur in everything. She will never reach the mark. ANY mark.
Sounds boring
y’all. while it was really all performative and does not deserve the huge amt of praise, i feel like i will give her some leeway for doing SOMETHING. the main criticism they get is will and kate do nothing. i feel like putting on a christmas performance isn’t something i would get mad at, rather than say her not doing diddly for weeks. and yes, everyone here hates her and think she’s vile, but meh she did something that wasn’t bad and tried.
It was bad and no, Kate didn’t ‘try’. She pretended, prerecorded, and learned diddly. She used this ‘practice’ as an excuse not to work for two months, was pathetic in her ‘playing’, and made it all about her. Not the season, not any charities, but all about Keen and her Keen-ness to pose, preen, and be the focus of attention. So yes, we’ll continue to mock her because we see through it all.
she got dressed, put on a questionable hair piece, went to a christmas carol service and talked with people, practiced, sat in front of a camera, played the piano (u can’t say she’s not playing bc she is and there’s camera zooms of her playin…) as an amateur with a musician. this is loads more work than she’s done in a while. all i’m saying is it was a nice sentiment, and this is not something she should get ripped to shreds to. she has a lot more questionable things she does..or doesn’t do bc she barely works.
As others have written, she made this all about herself. It had nothing to do with ‘nice sentiment’, it had to do with Keen demanding a tv show spotlight on herself and her questionable family. Nothing to admire in this stunt.
It was bad and she did not try.
She made it about herself which is pathetic. She could have easily given the spotlight to a real talent in the Uk who wouldn’t get the attention otherwise. Her sad little piano playing is the sign of a narcissist because she wasted everyone’s time with that mess.
My daughter is a better pianist than Kate. My dog might be, too.
You can tell by the way shes not even looking at the piano that she’s not really playing. Someone as amateur as her at piano would be looking at the keys, brow furrowed in concentration…… Not looking at the audience all slack-jawed……