The Princess of Wales has called on the public to embrace the holiday spirit with small acts of kindness, as she expressed gratitude for “the beautiful tapestry of life” during a star-studded carol concert.

At 43, Kate made a poignant return to public engagements after overcoming a battle with cancer. She and her 10-year-old daughter, Charlotte, shared the spotlight with a touching piano duet to open the annual service at Westminster Abbey, which aired on ITV on Christmas Eve.

The mother-daughter duo performed “Holm Sound” by Scottish composer Erland Cooper, known for his work that draws inspiration from nature and connection, themes that resonate deeply with the Princess of Wales.

Their performance was lauded as “absolutely beautiful,” moving many in the audience to tears.

Cooper, recognized as “one of the most unique, consistently engaging composers of his generation,” praised the Princess and her daughter for their “incredible bond.”

This special musical moment was recorded in the Inner Hall at Windsor Castle the previous week, with Cooper present to witness the heartfelt performance.

‘It was such a treat, such a lovely, warm and inviting day to be present with Their Royal Highnesses. It completely took me by surprise,’ he said.

The duet was shown alongside a voiceover of Kate reading the letter that was given to guests at Westminster Abbey, and footage of people arriving for the service on December 5.

In her speech she urged people to be ‘gentle’ and ‘contribute to the beautiful tapestry of life’.  

In the voiceover, she said: ‘At its heart Christmas speaks of love taking form in the simplest most human ways.

‘Not in sentimental or grand gestures. But gentle ones. A moment of listening. A word of comfort. A friendly conversation. A helping hand. Presents.

‘These simple acts of care might seem small but they contribute to the beautiful tapestry of life to which we all belong.

‘Christmas is a time which reminds us how deeply our lives are woven together. Just as the roots of trees share strength between the soil, unseen but vital, so too do we.

‘We are drawn by an instinctive pull towards belonging and connection.

‘At a time when life can sometimes feel fragmented or uncertain, the Christmas season invites us to remember the power of reaching out to one another with generosity of heart, understanding and hope.

‘This carol service offers a moment of collective togetherness, a chance to celebrate the spirit of community and service and to honour the visible and invisible bonds which unite us all.

‘The time, care and compassion you give often quietly and unspoken and without any expectation or recognition make an extraordinary difference to the lives of others.

‘As the year draws to a close I hope this season brings you moments of peace and clarity and that you too feel surrounded by the same love and care which you offer so freely.

‘Thank you for the warmth you have given and the kindness you have shown and the quiet constant light you bring to others.

‘Wishing you a very happy Christmas.’  

The royal was joined at Westminster Abbey by her three children, George, 12, Charlotte, Louis, seven, and husband William, 43, who delivered a reading from the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke from the New Testament.

It was the first time the Wales family had been seen together in public since their appearance at Trooping the Colour, the King’s birthday parade, in June.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, 60, who is married to William’s uncle Prince Edward, 61, was all smiles in a stylish burgundy coat.

William’s cousin, Zara Tindall and her husband, former England rugby union player Mike Tindall, were also in attendance.

Other members of the wider royal family were also present, including the late Queen’s cousin, the Duke of Gloucester, and his wife, the Duchess.

Also in attendance was Lord Frederick Windsor, the only son of another of the late Queen’s cousins, Prince Michael of Kent, and his wife, Princess Michael of Kent.

The royal, 46, attended with his wife, actress Sophie Winkleman, 45, and their daughters Maud, 12, and Isabella, nine.

The Daily Mail understands that while Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were invited to attend the event, both were unable to join other family members. 

Catherine’s own family, including her parents Michael and Carole Middleton, her brother James Middleton and his wife Alizee Thevenet, were also present.

It is believed they were touched at the invitation but had previous commitments.

The Prince and Princess of Wales had teased the duet on Wednesday morning by posting a cryptic surprise on their joint Instagram account.

The clip panned across a festively decorated room to show two hands, one with a large ring, resting on a piano.

They captioned the clip: ‘A special duet…’

And royal fans were delighted with the performance with many noting ‘Catherine looks so proud of Princess Charlotte’. 

One said: ‘Catherine the Princess of Wales knocks it out of the park with everything she does and she makes it seem so effortless. A lovely message to accompany the piano duet with Charlotte, superb.’

Another added: ‘Prince William must be so proud of both his beautiful girls. Lovely lovely carol concert.’ 

Other viewers gushed at her message of hope and were enchanted with the ‘absolutely beautiful carol concert.

‘It was a beautiful Christmas event which brought tears to people’s eyes,’ one wrote.

‘This precious child. A split second, a moment her face lights up with love as she glances at her mum. Oh my heart,’ another said.

‘Imagine the King watching this. Prince William watching the two most important women in his life.’

‘Congratulations to Princess Catherine for genuinely putting Christ at the heart of Christmas,’ one added.

The service also featured a number of celebrities including Kate Winslet who delivered a reading titled ‘A reflection of love and connection’ in front of the crowd of 1,600 attendees.

Chiwetel Ejiofor also gave a reading, while celebrity chef Dame Mary Berry created a Christmas wreath for display in the abbey. 

And actress Vicky McClure, famous for her roles in Trigger Point and Line Of Duty, narrated the service after Kate’s introduction.

After the opening segment, the programme continued with a performance of the hymns Once in Royal David’s City and a Sussex Carol by the Westminster Abbey choir, before a speech by The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, the 39th Dean of Westminster.

And there were musical performances from singers Katie Melua, Dan Smith, Griff and Cornish folk music group Fisherman’s Friends.

Famous faces in the congregation included singers Marvin and Rochelle Humes, comedian Tom Allen, rapper Professor Green and actor Joe Locke.

Schitt’s Creek actor Eugene Levy, who featured William in the new series of his travel show, The Reluctant Traveler, earlier this year, was also present.

It also featured two community films, with one focusing on an artist from Fleetwood, Lancashire, who puts on a Christmas dinner for those alone at this time of year.

The second involved students from London’s Platinum Performing Arts – who performed in the service.

Kate, who has played the piano at previous festive concerts, including in 2021 when she put on a touching performance at a Westminster Abbey service, was lavished with praise by composer Cooper.

She personally requested he accompany them at Windsor Castle earlier this month as they performed his piece.

On witnessing mother and daughter sharing the stage together for their joint performance, he said: ‘It was just lovely. I think I was there for a little bit of encouragement. I mean, imagine anybody performing a piece of music in front of a film crew, and then the person who wrote it.

‘Princess Charlotte played beautifully, she really has a wonderful way of playing the lighter notes just beautifully. So we were able to celebrate in that together.

‘It’s certainly one of my favourite winter solstice moments. To walk into the Castle, to be greeted by a Steinway grand piano, and then to have a really poignant recital and performance.

‘It was a very special, sort of quiet moment. There’s a power in reaching out to people, and that’s what they did here.’

Speaking of his shared passion for the natural world with the princess, who has credited immersing herself in nature as a marker in her recovery from cancer treatment last year, Cooper said: ‘It was such a treat, such a lovely, warm and inviting day to be present with Their Royal Highnesses. It completely took me by surprise.

‘I’m used to rambling around the ruins and brochs of the Orkney Islands, but to go to Windsor Castle itself was a slightly different architectural wonder.’

Cooper, 43, wrote his classical piece in 2020 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, taking inspiration from the wild environment of the Orkney islands.

The Princess of Wales, who has played the piano since the age of 10, first wrote to Cooper to express her love of his music and thank him for his dedication to promoting the beauty of the natural world through his craft.

Through their exchange of messages, the future queen revealed how she had enjoyed teaching Charlotte his compositions at home, creating a special bond between them.

As she planned to create a special moment as part of her fifth annual Together at Christmas carol concert, celebrating hundreds of community heroes at Westminster Abbey, the princess requested to play one of her favourite pieces with her daughter.

‘I’m always in the head and hearts and back gardens of others. I often think, in this case, this little piece of music sort of landed on her shoulder like a bird,’ Cooper said.

‘And when you write a piece of music and you share it with the world, you’re sort of letting that out, and you’re letting it go, and you have no idea how far and wide it might fly. So it’s always a great surprise when people write to me or call me, and this was, you know, one of those great surprises. I didn’t expect it at all.’

Describing the moment as ‘a wonderful bit of serendipity’ after originally composing the piece for his mother, Charlotte, Cooper said: ‘We had a very warm, creative conversation earlier in the year, which was lovely, and then it culminated with an invitation to Windsor Castle. The princess asked: “Would it be okay if we perform this piece of music that we so enjoy together?”

‘It was such a lovely request so I said absolutely no problem at all. I was invited to witness this incredible bond between mother and daughter performing together and for that I am so grateful.

‘And there’s a wonderful bit of serendipity as the piece was composed and dedicated to my mum, also called Charlotte, they didn’t know about, that it’s about motherhood, and how family plays such an important role and such a key part to all of this.

‘The Princess and I both have a sort of shared love of music that celebrates the natural world and its rejuvenation and the wonder that you know that comes from it. There’s so much joy and warmth and creativity and ideas surrounding those themes.’

Cooper, whose work combines field recordings with traditional orchestration and electronic elements, is renowned for burying the only copy of his first classical album as part of the ‘return to the natural earth’ process.

In 2021, after deleting all digital copies of his composition, he planted the master tape in peaty soil in Orkney, along with a ‘cheap violin’, the original score in a biscuit tin and a note to return to sender if it was ever found.

Cooper posted clues on his website, but said if no one found it he would dig it up himself and release the music in 2024, no matter how much the recording had changed.

The score was discovered by two fans who found the soggy spool of magnetic tape buried in Stromness and returned it to him.

The record, titled Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence, later became a number one classical album, in collaboration with nature, topping the UK official charts in 2024.

Cooper added: ‘I merely tap into the energy of the natural world, and I’m very grateful for it. It is a constant source of inspiration. It’s the life blood of my work. The idea behind my first piece was to compose, decompose, and then recompose.

‘The finished piece would be a collaboration with Mother Nature. We all have this incredible connection to the natural world and I find it so warming that the Princess of Wales has found solace and such comfort in nature.’

When Kate last performed at Westminster Abbey she stunned onlookers as she played the piano to accompany singer Tom Walker with a poignant song performed by candlelight at the service in London. 

They played his Christmas single For Those Who Can’t Be Here together – and despite the duchess reportedly feeling ‘quite nervous’, fans rushed to praise her performance.

Meanwhile, sweet new pictures released on Tuesday showed Kate and Prince Louis sharing an adorable moment at her Christmas carol concert.

Royal fans swooned at the unseen snaps of the princess and her three children at the service.

Their heart-warming bond was clear for all to see as Princess Charlotte, arrived to support her mother alongside her father and brothers.

The whole family was sleek in navy and green, as the boys wore smart suits while Charlotte was adorable in a blue dress with a white collar – a perfect complement to her mother’s emerald.

Others noted how Kate seemingly channelled her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, who surprised onlookers in 1988 in Australia with her own piano performance.

Kate was pictured beaming proudly at her children, leading them towards Westminster Abbey as they admired the festive light decorations ahead of the service.

And once inside, the Princess of Wales helped Louis balance a candle while she held onto an order of service in her other hand.

In adorable scenes, Kate could be seen speaking quietly to her youngest son, while he sat with a cheeky grin on his face.

Princess Catherine’s close relationship with her daughter Charlotte was also on show at the carol service, which is now in its fifth year.

The pair’s faces visibly lit up with joy as they spotted each other outside Westminster Abbey before the concert kicked off.

Bearing a wide grin, the Princess of Wales quickly held her arm out to embrace her daughter, who looked equally delighted to support her mother at the event.

The family were later photographed walking into the Abbey together, and Kate continued to lovingly direct her gaze at her daughter.