Guest at Kate Middleton's Carol Concert Shares Behind-the-Scenes Details Ahead of Christmas Eve Broadcast

“She has an aura about her,” concert guest Pauline Byrne told PEOPLE

Kate Middleton spread holiday cheer at her annual Christmas carol concert.

The Princess of Wales’ “Together at Christmas” concert highlighted a key initiative for Kate — her “Shaping Us” campaign, which supports early child development. Kate paid tribute to professionals in the sector by inviting them to her event at Westminster Abbey earlier this month.

“She has an aura around her. She comes from a very family-oriented background and if you’ve had that upbringing, you appreciate it more,” host Pauline Byrne, center manager for Baby Basics in Barry, south Wales, tells PEOPLE.

Kate was also inspired to bring her three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, to a donation center near their home in Windsor to volunteer and pack toys and clothes for families in need this year. holiday season.

“She has a lot of empathy and compassion. I think she doesn’t take her life for granted,” adds Byrne. “She has to recognize that there are families that aren’t as fortunate and that your environment and resources actually shape your development as an adult.”

The Princess of Wales with Princess Charlotte and Prince George at a carol concert on December 8.

Chris Jackson/Getty

Byrne also watched as Kate chatted – and high-fived – some scouts at the carol concert.

“She was so down to earth. Although their status is there and you respect them for it, you feel [William and Kate] are a different generation and show what the royal family can be. They are not as distant as some people can be. And most importantly, [scouts] were relaxed with her.”

George, Charlotte and Louis volunteer at the Baby Bank with mum Kate on a private family outing: watch the video

Although the event took place on December 8, it will be broadcast on ITV on Christmas Eve.

It will mark much of what Kate has tried to do this year, as she highlighted the work mdiweves, teachers, nursery workers and academics are doing in the sector.

Byrne, who is also a former midwife, adds: “We’re trying to dispel the myth that there are poor people out there who don’t deserve it. Most people are in this situation through no fault of their own, and we are trying to give these people back the dignity they have lost,”

“It doesn’t matter how big or small your center is, it’s who you’re helping at the end of the day,” Byrne says of Baby Basics’ mission. “Certain families need this help for babies and toddlers. It’s about the foundation and Shaping Us emphasizes that. The fact that they see us as a part of that is a real honor in itself.”

Prince William, Kate and their children leave a service at Westminster Abbey on December 8.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Earlier this month, another guest, Bianca Sakol from Sebby’s Corner in north London, who Kate visited in November, said “the service was absolutely beautiful, absolutely perfect – we loved it.”

When Kate arrived with William and their children, the princess smiled at Sakol and her trio of colleagues from Sebby’s Corner. They were among a group of baby banks that were invited (another, from Baby Basics, was represented) along with other organizations that support families and children in their early years.

“It’s wonderful that she invited so many different organizations,” Sakol told PEOPLE. “It shows how important the early years are and all the work that baby banks do. Putting the early years at the forefront of this is really special.”

Kate’s spokesperson explains why the princess chose the early years theme for the service, saying: “Christmas is a time when we celebrate the birth of a new baby. It’s a reminder of how unique this time is and how precious those early years are, as we begin to form our first relationships, bond for those closest to us and exploring the world we live in.”

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“It also signifies hope. As we look to the future, we hope that our children will grow up in a happier, healthier, fairer, kinder and more tolerant world. A world based on love and compassion,” the spokesperson added.

“The birth of a child is such an inspiring symbol of the golden opportunity we have to build that world. Because we know that the foundations we lay in early childhood shape the rest of our lives, the adults we become, the relationships we create and ultimately, the type of society we create together. so important to build supportive, caring worlds around children and the adults in their lives.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education