Duchess of Cambridge delights in hosting carol service for unsung heroes

This time last year, there were no such gatherings. The widower dined alone; the little girl wondered whether Father Christmas was allowed to visit her home.

The Duchess of Cambridge did her best to make up for those lost moments on Wednesday as she welcomed the unsung heroes of Britain's coronavirus lockdown into the warm cheer of Westminster Abbey.

Dressed in vivid red and watched by two reindeer, the Duchess ushered in an unmistakably festive feeling for an evening of carols and thanks for the simple acts of kindness guests had performed for family, community, Queen and country.

The "unimaginable challenges" of the past year, the Duchess said, had shown "just how much we need one another".

The evening was a chance to reflect "the importance of simply being together".

Joined by the Duke, the Duchess hosted 1,200 guests handpicked for their contribution to overcoming the difficulties of the coronavirus lockdown.

They included a man who dressed as Spiderman to entertain children from outside their closed windows, the six-year-old cancer patient who pulled at the nation's heartstrings after being photographed for a National Portrait Gallery project, and the soldiers of Operation Pitting.

The Duke and Duchess arrived at Westminster Abbey to the sound of a choir singing Ding Dong Merrily On High, flanked by two placid reindeer.

The Duchess wore a red Catherine Walker coat, matching heels and sapphire diamond-fringed earrings on loan from the Queen.

Writing a foreword in the order of service, the Duchess said the pandemic had provided "countless and previously unimaginable challenges", with lost loved ones, frontline workers "placed under immeasurable pressure” and the “heart-wrenching isolation from those we hold most dear".

But, she said: "Alongside this, we have seen how communities have come together to support those most in need.

"And through our separation from others, we have been reminded just how powerful human connection is to us all.

"Just how much we need one another. And how loving and feeling a sense of belonging to one another can provide comfort in tough times.

"The importance of simply being together."

Saying she and the Duke had been "so fortunate to meet and spend time with phenomenal people across the country who day-in day-out support individuals and families", she added they had been "truly inspired by countless people who have brought their communities together through simple acts of long and kindness".

"This carol service is our small way of recognising the inspiring contribution so many of you have made.

"Christmas is a time when we can reflect on the past, listen to one another, focus on the relationships that nurture us and build our resilience, so we can look forward to a shared brighter future.

"My hope is that this service creates a moment for us to do this together."

The Duke and Duchess spent around 15 minutes ahead of the service mingling with many of the everyday heroes invited to the event.

Colonel David Blum, 98, who met the Duchess last month as part of the Remembrance Day celebrations, beamed after she personally sought him out in the seats.

"My family are far away so I won't be seeing them at Christmas so I am very grateful to be invited. It is a lovely trip to London. Kate is very charming," he said.

The Duchess, wearing a mask inside, was welcomed by other familiar faces including Mila Sneddon, six, who stole her heart after she bravely coped with leukemia during the pandemic.

Preparing to give a short and touching reading during the service, the little girl gave the duchess a twirl of her green sequinned dress before taking her seat behind the Royal couple.

Mila said afterwards: "She asked me what I was getting from Father Christmas and I told her I wanted a Barbie Dreamhouse.

"I showed her my dress and she said I looked lovely."

Her mother Lynda said: "The last two Christmasses, Mila has been in hospital so we are looking forward to having her at home this year."

Service men and women from Operation Pitting, who helped evacuate 15,000 people from Afghanistan, were also in the audience.

The Middleton family showed their support for the Duchess's night, with parents Carole and Michael, and siblings Pippa and James joining her in the Abbey.

Showing their support for the event were other members of the Royal Family including the Countess of Wessex, Zara and Mike Tindall, Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice and her husband Edouardo Mapelli Mozzi.

The Duke gave a reading of Luke 2: 1-7, with readings also delivered by broadcaster Kate Garraway, whose husband contracted Covid-19, and paralympian Dr Kim Daybell.

The congregation, chosen by the Duke, Duchess and Lord Lieutenants from across the country, were made up from representatives of 32 charities and patronages of the Queen and other members of the Royal Family.

Dozens of guests had already met the Duke and Duchess either in person or over video calls during the pandemic.

A handful of celebrity guests were chosen not just for their status on the A List, but their services to fans and communities. They included footballer Jordan Henderson for his project to donate wages to the NHS; chef Angela Hartnett, who delivered more than 50,000 meals for hospital workers; and Jason Manford, a comedian who took up a job as delivery driver for Iceland to help with shortages.

The event will be broadcast as part of Royal Carols: Together At Christmas, a special programme which will be aired by ITV at 7:30pm on Christmas Eve.

The broadcast will feature additional content including an introduction from The Duchess of Cambridge.