Are Prince William And Kate Middleton Planning A Surprise Christmas Concert?

The last several years haven't been easy for Prince William and Kate Middleton, or the British royal family for that matter. After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they would be stepping down from their positions as full-time working royals, the global COVID-19 pandemic hit. The world then had to deal with one lockdown after another, with the royal family struggling to fulfill any of their royal engagements unless it was done through Zoom. If that weren't enough, Prince Philip passed away in April of 2021 at the age of 99, and there have been reports about Queen Elizabeth's hospital stay in October, sparking health concerns. 

After stating that "Wishing you a merry Christmas doesn't feel right this year," in their Christmas message in 2020, per Harper's Bazaar, William and Kate want to make sure that this year's holiday is going to be the festive celebration that everyone deserves. However, there's already some drama surrounding the Duchess of Cambridge's plans to bring people together through peace, joy, and music.

According to People, Kate Middleton is looking to throw a charity Christmas carol concert in a place that is very near and dear to her heart: her wedding venue. The concert will take place at Westminster Abbey, which is where she and Prince William tied the knot back in 2011. Royal correspondent Chris Ship even tweeted, "The carol concert at @wabbey is Kate's 'brainchild' – a way to thank people and communities for what they've done in 2021."

And while there's no doubt that the people of Great Britain will see it as a nice gesture, there was some behind-the-scenes drama over which British network would be airing the concert. The concert special had been planned for the BBC, but was abruptly handed over to the ITV network after the royal family made it clear that they did not appreciate the BBC airing "The Princes and the Press" documentary earlier in the month.

Three royal households even released a joint statement about the doc that said, "A free, responsible and open press is of vital importance to a healthy democracy. However, too often it is overblown and unfounded claims from unnamed sources that are presented as facts and it is disappointing when anyone, including the BBC, gives them credibility," per the Evening Standard. In other words, the holiday bells will jingle, but just on a different channel this year.