The Duchess of Cambridge
(Picture: REUTERS)The Duchess of Cambridge has described how the pandemic showed the “importance of simply being together” as she described the “heart-wrenching isolation from those we hold most dear.”
Kate, in a moving message about “how powerful human connection is to us all” in the programme for her Christmas carol concert, reflected on the “countless and previously unimaginable challenges” of the Covid-19 crisis.
The duchess, who was hosting the service, wrote: “We have lost loved ones, seen our frontline workers placed under immeasurable pressure, and we have experienced heart-wrenching isolation from those we hold most dear.
“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.”
The duchess’s Together at Christmas service in London’s Westminster Abbey on Wednesday is being broadcast on ITV on Christmas Eve, having been switched from the BBC in the fallout over a BBC Two documentary about the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex.
Kate also wrote: “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 brighter shared future.”
The duchess, who was joined by William at the event, wore a festive Catherine Walker coat with large bow detail and the Queen Mother’s sapphire fringe earrings loaned to her by the Queen.
The duke and duchess were greeted by carol-singing schoolchildren and reindeers outside the Abbey.
Singers Ellie Goulding and Leona Lewis were among those performing at the festive gathering which was also attended by Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.
Among the guests are people in community networks, charitable organisations and the patronages of the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Cambridges.
Those who William and Kate met and spent time with during recent engagements were among the guests, as were armed forces personnel involved in Operation Pitting – the UK’s evacuation of civilians from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover.
