The Princess of Wales is now a regular fixture at the Royal Family's Christmas celebrations in Sandringham.
But it wasn't until after she married Prince William in 2011 that she first joined in on the Firm's festivities after becoming a fully-fledged royal. Of course, spending Christmas with your partner's family for the first time can be nerve-racking - and Kate once admitted this was especially the case. Going to Sandringham meant she had to buy Christmas presents for William's family and she revealed how she was especially anxious about what to buy one relative in particular - the late Queen.
Giving a rare interview in 2016 in a documentary for the late monarch's 90th birthday, Kate admitted: "I can remember being at Sandringham, for the first time, at Christmas. And I was worried about what to give the Queen as her Christmas present. I was thinking, 'Gosh, what should I give her?'"
Luckily, Kate came up with an idea for what the late Queen might have liked - even though it had the potential to go "horribly wrong". She explained: "I thought, 'I'll make her something, which could have gone horribly wrong. But I decided to make my granny's recipe of chutney.
"I was slightly worried about it, but I noticed the next day that it was on the table. I think such a simple gesture went such a long way for me and I've noticed since she's done that on lots of occasions and I think it just shows her thoughtfulness, really, and her care in looking after everybody."
It is believed that William and Kate, along with their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will be at Sandringham alongside King Charles and Queen Camilla for Christmas this year.
And it could be that on Christmas Eve they settle down around the TV to watch her Royal Carols: Together At Christmas programme, which is being broadcast on ITV. The Christmas Carol concert was filmed at Westminster Abbey earlier this month and will see her welcoming her family, members of the monarchy and inspiring individuals in celebration of those supporting children and families.
The show will also feature additional material including films emphasising the importance of early childhood and contributions from celebrities such as Rio and Kate Ferdinand and Dame Sheila Hancock. In a video message introducing the televised carol service, Kate will deliver a heartfelt thanks to all those helping babies and young children “feel safe, valued and loved”.
Kate was joined at the carol service by her William and their children. Among the 1,500 guests were midwives, nursery teachers and baby bank volunteers. The highlight of the show was a poignant musical tribute paid to John Lennon and George Michael, with the concert held 43 years to the day the former Beatle was shot dead on December 8 1980.
Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier played Wham!’s hit Last Christmas on Lennon’s upright piano, which was owned by the group’s singer and later solo star George Michael, loaned by his estate. Broadcaster Roman Kemp, the son of Spandau Ballet bassist Martin Kemp and former Wham! backing singer Shirlie Kemp, introduced Collier and talked about the role George Michael – who was his godfather – played in his life.
During the concert, Oscar winner Jim Broadbent read an extract from Letters From Father Christmas by Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien, and singers Beverley Knight and Adam Lambert performed.
