Princess Kate's carol service was missing one important member of the family

Princess Kate's carol service took place last week, with the royal returning to the annual Christmas celebration after a turbulent year. Following her cancer diagnosis at the start of 2024, Kate took some time away from royal duties to undergo chemotherapy and focus on her recovery. In a touching video message shared on social media in September, Kate confirmed that her treatment was complete and she has slowly been returning to work.

In the weeks that followed, the Palace confirmed Princess Kate would host the 'Together at Christmas' service on 6th December at Westminster Abbey as per royal tradition, with the recording due to air on ITV on Christmas Eve. The theme of this year's event was a personal one for Kate, as her message highlighted 'the importance of love and empathy, and how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives'.

Kate was joined by Prince William, as well as her three young children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. Although King Charles and Queen Camilla were unable to make the service, other royals in attendance included Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh - who was recently dubbed Kate's 'royal sister' - as well as Zara Tindall and Princess Beatrice.

However, Beatrice's younger sister, Princess Eugenie, was notably absent from the celebration. Eugenie currently lives in Portugal with her husband Jack Brooksbank and their two young children, August and Ernest, although it is unclear how long the family intend to stay there as a source told the Express: "The villa in Portugal is more an investment than anything else and construction hasn't even been completed yet... It hasn't been purchased as a new home, but more as a holiday retreat and something they can put their money into to protect their assets."

Eugenie and Jack split their time between Portugal and the UK, and the Princess welcomed her second child in May this year. Since the service, Eugenie has also taken to social media to promote her anti-slavery documentary, My Epiphany - so it could be that Eugenie's busy schedule, teamed with the distance, made it difficult for her to attend.

Princess Eugenie has maintained a good relationship with both William and Kate, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, since the Sussexes left the UK in 2020. She even made a surprise appearance in the Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, as she was seen spending time with the couple in personal video footage.