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Kensington Palace has released new details about the Princess of Wales’s Together at Christmas Carol Service at Westminster Abbey.

For the first time since the princess launched the event in 2021, a live illustrator will sketch snapshots of the atmosphere inside the Abbey in real time.

The congregation will be welcomed by eight young performers aged between 13-18 from Future Talent, a charity co-founded by the late Duchess of Kent to support musically gifted children from low-income backgrounds.

Ahead of the service, guests will walk through a natural festive installation created by horticulturist Jamie Butterworth.

The design will feature British woodland trees in their winter state, interwoven with fruits, berries and Christmas trees, supplied by Form Plants in Weybridge.

Inside the Abbey, wreaths donated by the Royal Horticultural Society and florist Simon Lycett will be on display.

The wreaths have been created with the involvement of RHS Ambassadors, schoolchildren, Dame Mary Berry, Arit Anderson, comedian Tom Allen and presenter Angelica Bell.

There will also be a ‘Connection Tree’ supported by Hobbycraft, at which guests will be able to add their own named loop onto a paper chain adorning the tree, symbolising the power of togetherness and the importance of moments of connection with one another.

Throughout the evening, poignant readings linked to the theme of love, compassion and connection will be delivered by speakers including the Prince of Wales, Kate Winslet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Babatunde Aléshé and Joe Locke, whose reading will be accompanied by pianist Paul Gladstone Reid.

As part of the service, candles will be lit by guests who have met the Prince and Princess of Wales in recent years, as well as those taking part in the programme.

Alongside the Westminster Abbey choir performing well-known carols, attendees will enjoy special musical performances from Hannah Waddingham, Griff, Katie Melua and Cornish folk music group, Fisherman’s Friends, as well as seeing young performers from Platinum Performing Arts dance inside the Abbey.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 has visited severely ill children from Gaza being treated by the NHS.

The NHS began offering specialist care to Palestinian children in September as part of a UK government humanitarian mission. As of November 21st, fifty children are being cared for by the NHS.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson said :

"The Prince wished to offer a moment of comfort to these young people who have endured experiences no child should ever face.

The Prince was also able to offer his heartfelt gratitude to the NHS teams providing exceptional care during such a profoundly difficult time.

His Royal Highness was moved by the courage shown by the children and their families and by the dedication of the team who are supporting them with such professionalism and humanity.”

During his tour of the Middle East in 2018, the then Duke of Cambridge visited families living in the Jalazone Refugee Camp in Ramallah, West Bank.

In February 2024, during his visit to the Red Cross, the Prince of Wales spoke to personnel providing humanitarian aid on ground in Gaza.

In October 2024, he and the Princess of Wales made a personal donation to DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal which through the DEC charities is helping provide life-saving aid in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank.