Kate Middleton gives special role to ‘Downton Abbey’ star Michelle Dockery

As Kate Middleton marked her fourth Together at Christmas earlier this month following the “brutal” year, she assigned a special role to a beloved celebrity.

Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery was invited by the Princess of Wales for the Christmas Carol service held at the Westminster Abbey, where she also delivered a poignant message, which left Kate in awe.

“Empathy goes unspoken, yet means more than any words,” Dockery began her reading during the service. “It can hide in the simplest of gestures yet leave the biggest marks on us.”

The camera then cut to the Wales family where, Kate appeared to be in deep thought, alongside husband Prince William and their three children – Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, Prince Louis, 6.

“On this special service, on a starry Christmas night, we are reminded that everyone of us has something we can offer to one another,” she continued. “It is love, compassion and kindness that truly matters and we all have it within ourselves to give them in abundance.”

The poignant message in the speech was a reflection of the theme of the service, which was surrounding empathy and love.

It was also significant as this was Kate’s first Christmas carol service since she revealed her cancer diagnosis in March 2024.