The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton’s Christmas Carol Service, which took place on December 6, has been making headlines lately. However, King Charles III was nowhere to be seen at the big event, with some speculating that he didn’t want to overshadow the host. Apart from this significant absence, the 76-year-old monarch also made some major adjustments to his holiday plans.
On December 6, Kate Middleton had her fourth successful Christmas Carol Service at Westminster Abbey. She was joined by most of her family, including her husband, Prince William. Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince Louis also accompanied their parents. However, two people’s absences couldn’t be ignored.
Prince Louis attends Kate Middleton’s Christmas carol service with a sweet handwritten note to ‘granny and grandpa’ https://t.co/TyFcfxOkZq pic.twitter.com/9FltuReOLY
— Page Six (@PageSix) December 6, 2024
The King and Queen of England didn’t attend their daughter-in-law’s big holiday event and there was no official statement about their absence.
If both King Charles and Queen Camilla had attended the event, they would have taken precedence as per the royal hierarchy. But in their absence, the spotlight was on the hosts of the evening. The annual Christmas Carol Service is the Princess of Wales’ beloved passion project, so the king’s decision only made sense.
Meanwhile, Queen Camilia recently suffered from pneumonia, and she is currently recovering. So she has been lessening her public appearances as well.
Notably, the Royal Highness also skipped Princess Kate’s annual event last year. It was when the king was on an outing at his Highgrove Estate in Gloucestershire. It was at least 100 miles far from the event at Westminster Abbey.
Recently, the Prince and Princess of Wales returned to social media. They expressed gratitude towards the people behind their successful unforgettable Carol Service.
On their Instagram account, they shared a heartwarming thank you card. They couldn’t help but praise the unsung heroes who made it possible. In the caption, they penned their heartfelt gratitude, “We gave our scouts volunteers a camera for the day of the Together at Christmas Carol Service… This is how they captured it.” The royal pair added, “Tune in to the Together at Christmas Carol Service on ITV and itvxofficial this Christmas Eve.”
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The special broadcast will feature a special message by the 42-year-old princess. In a preview clip, she urged people to take a moment away from daily life’s mundanes and focus on the importance of empathy.
In her heartfelt speech, Kate said “Love, kindness, and forgiveness, so much of what the Christmas spirit is all about.” Her letter to the people will be aired on December 25, along with her Christmas Carol concert.
On the other hand, King Charles has some major changes in his holiday plans. He was supposed to visit Romania with his wife to spend the pre-holiday festivities with her family there. However, he had to make a difficult decision and miss out on the annual holiday trip this year after his medical team advised against it.
Back in February, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the king had been diagnosed with cancer. After making some progress in his treatment, he went back to his public duties starting in April.
According to the latest updates by NBC News, the treatment is moving in a positive direction. King Charles III is continuing his battle amid growing concerns over his health. He is now set to reunite with Queen Camilla at their annual Christmas tradition at the Sandringham.