Princess of Wales pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth at carol service

Image source, Kensington Palace

Image caption, In her introduction, the Princess of Wales says the late Queen "held Christmas close to her heart"

The Princess of Wales has paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth in a special broadcast set to air on Christmas Eve.

Catherine said the Queen had "held Christmas close to her heart" as a time that "reminded us of the importance of faith, friendship and family".

People recognised for showcasing community values were invited to the service at Westminster Abbey.

It is the first royal carol service since the Queen died in September.

The Together at Christmas event was held on 15 December, and was supported by the Royal Foundation, a charity founded and run by the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Among those celebrated at the event was Inna Hryhorovych, headmistress of St Mary's Ukrainian School in London.

The school has more than doubled its intake of pupils since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February.

Pupils from the school performed at the event in Westminster Abbey and Ms Hryhorovych was sent a letter from the princess commending her work.

In it, she writes the school is "a lifeline for the whole community" and only possible "because of your tireless work and dedication".

Image source, PA Media

Image caption, St Mary's Ukrainian School in London has doubled its intake since the start of the war

The princess's comments are among end-of-year dedications to the late Queen, with other tributes from the Royal Variety Performance and the 大象传媒 Sports Personality of the Year.

The service will be broadcast on ITV1 at 19:00 GMT on Christmas Eve as part of Royal Carols: Together At Christmas, a programme which will be narrated by actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.

The service also featured musical performances from the Westminster Abbey choir, Craig David, Alexis Ffrench, Alfie Boe and Melanie C. Readings were delivered by the Prince of Wales, Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, and Nicola Adams.