Prince Louis Helped Keep A Holiday Surprise From Princess Charlotte

Kate Middleton is getting back to more normalcy after finishing her cancer treatment in September, including partaking in the British royal family’s holiday traditions. On Dec. 6, the Princess of Wales hosted her fourth annual Christmas carol service, Together at Christmas, which will air on ITV on Christmas Eve. All of the Wales kids attended alongside Kate and Prince William, and the concert included a sweet surprise for Princess Charlotte, thanks in part to Prince Louis.

The special moment in the service was a ballet performance by two soloists from the Royal Ballet, per People. In a video posted on X by the Times’ Kate Mansey, Kate told singers Paloma Faith, Olivia Dean, and Gregory Porter that Charlotte is a big ballet fan and she planned to surprise her. However, her scheme hit a snag when her youngest son, 6-year-old Prince Louis, “heard [her] talk about the dancers over tea,” and she had to count on him to keep the secret.

“He said, ‘I won’t say anything!’” Kate recalled. “And he’s kept the secret, this is what, maybe two weeks? Quite good for a 6-year-old!”

There was a near-miss on the morning of the concert. Kate revealed that when she dropped the kids off at school, he said, “Please, Mummy, can I tell her? I’m bursting!”

Yet mischievous as Louis can be at times, he apparently managed to restrain himself. “I don’t think he’s said anything,” Kate added. “I asked her, just before we left, ‘Do you know what the surprise is?’ And she said no.”

Kate also addressed how difficult the last year has been while speaking to Faith. In footage shared by Channel 5 News, she told the singer, “I didn’t know this year was going to be the year that I’ve just had,” adding that she thinks “lots of people this year have had such challenging times.”

It during the Christmas holiday last year that Kate made some of her final public appearances before a planned abdominal surgery in January. After a growing absence and increasingly wild internet speculation as to her whereabouts, she revealed her cancer diagnosis to the public in March. Kate explained that tests after the operation determined cancer “had been present,” so she had started preventive chemotherapy.

The carol service is Kate’s biggest royal engagement since she announced the completion of her cancer treatment in September. Held in Westminster Abbey, it had an audience of 1,600 people who have been supporting others in their communities in different ways. Each attendee received a special letter from the Princess of Wales that touched on love and empathy, the theme of this year’s event.

Together at Christmas will be broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX on Christmas Eve and again on Christmas Day.