Kate Middleton looks back on her childhood holiday celebrations!
On Monday, the Princess of Wales shared a family photo of herself sitting at the Christmas table in 1983, just weeks before she turned 2 on January 9, 1984.
The image shows Kate wearing a dark cardigan and blue and white dress, complete with a colorful beaded necklace – and bears an uncanny resemblance to her son, Prince Louis, 5. In front of Kate is a bowl and several lighted candles, while behind her are some festive glittering decorations.
Kate shared the photo on social media as part of her Shaping Us awareness campaign which addresses the needs of children in the first five years of life. The campaign is almost a year old and was also the inspiration for her annual Christmas carol concert earlier this month at Westminster Abbey.
Prince Louis and King Charles on June 5, 2022.
Chris Jackson / POOL / AFP / Getty
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The film of the service is being shown in the UK on ITV on Christmas Eve and features Louis and his royal siblings Prince George, 10, and Princess Charlotte, 8, alongside professionals, staff and volunteers from some of the UK’s children’s banks.
Ahead of the Christmas Eve show, and to build on her campaign, Kate also asked people to follow her and share pictures of their earliest holiday celebrations.
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Princess Kate and her family at a Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey on December 8, 2023.
Chris Jackson/Getty
On Saturday, Kate, 41, posted a new introduction to the festive concert: “Welcome to our third caroling service at Westminster Abbey. Christmas is a time when we come together and celebrate the birth of a new baby.”
“The arrival of each baby is a precious and important time, it brings us together to think about new beginnings and brings hope for the future. Through our earliest interactions, relationships and experiences, with those who love us, even before we are born, we lay the foundation for much that the future will depend on,” she continued. “But only by valuing and supporting the vital role of adults in children’s world can we hope to make a difference.”
“Tonight’s guests are therefore invited in recognition of their support for our youngest children, as we shine a light on the crucial role they play in nurturing and educating the next generation,” said the Princess of Wales, speaking of the spotlight on Shaping Me at this year’s service.
“From parents and carers, to early childhood educators, midwives, community visitors and community volunteers, thank you for all you do to help the youngest members of our communities feel safe, valued and loved,” said Kate. “Not only is this making a difference for today’s children, it will continue to shape a happier, healthier, more just world in the future.”
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Prince William, Princess Kate and their family at the concert of Christmas carols Together.
Chris Jackson/Getty
In the run-up to the holidays, Kate took her children to a baby bank in Maidenhead, Berkshire, to help wrap presents and groceries for disadvantaged families. In a video shown on Kensington Palace’s social channels, Kate drives up in the family’s SUV and helps the children unload the donations they’ve brought with them.
The royal siblings were told that the gifts and donations were sorted by teams of people who gave their time for free. “You are the volunteers for tonight,” Kate told her children.
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Princess Kate is promoting the ITV broadcast of her Christmas carol concert together.
ITV
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This year is the third time Kate has hosted the Together at Christmas concert. Viewers will see Prince William read a story from the Bible during the service. Additional readings and short films were made by Michael Ward, Emma Willis, Roman Kemp and Jim Broadbent. A specially commissioned poem written by Joseph Coelho, Children’s Laureate, was also performed by Leonie Elliott.
Shaping Us is part of Kate’s ongoing, long-term commitment to raising awareness of the needs of children under 5 and their carers. The campaign aims to bring together midwives, nursery teachers, academics and development professionals to advance knowledge and understanding of the importance of 0-5 years.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education