Inside William and Kate’s special Christmas with George, Charlotte and Louis

The Prince and Princess of Wales are likely to put on a particularly special Christmas for Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis this year.

The royal family have endured what William described as a “dreadful” year, with both Kate and the King battling cancer, so it is looking probable that the royal couple will be putting their all into festive celebrations with their children.

The prince has stepped up admirably as both his wife and father face major health scares, admitting that 2024 has “probably been the hardest year in my life”.

As she gradually returns to public duties following her chemotherapy treatment, it has been confirmed that the princess will be hosting her annual Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey on 6 December.

The whole family may be set to soon pick their Christmas tree together after they were spotted doing so from the Christmas Tree Shop in Berkshire last year, which is near to their home Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.

All of the Waleses are also expected to spend Christmas and New Year at Sandringham House along with the rest of the royals, as is tradition, staying at their country home Anmer Hall in Norfolk.

The Queen has been left heartbroken after the death of her beloved dog and “much-loved companion” Beth.

Buckingham Palace posted on social media alongside a montage of images of the Queen’s pet: “A sad farewell to Beth, the Queen’s much-loved companion from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home who brought such joy, whether on walkies, helping on official duties or curled up by the fire.”

My colleague Jabed Ahmed reports:

On Christmas Day 2021, Jaswant Singh Chail, 21, climbed into the castle grounds with a crossbow and later declared “I’m here to kill the Queen”.

He was jailed for nine years.

On the day he got into the castle grounds, Star Wars fanatic Chail sent a homemade video to family and friends on WhatsApp in which he apologised for what he was about to do and called himself “Darth Chailus”.

He wore dark clothes and a metal mask as he adopted the persona of a Star Wars villain for the video.

In the clip, the defendant, who has Sikh Indian heritage, said he was seeking revenge for the Amritsar massacre in 1919, when British troops opened fire on thousands of Indians and left up to 1,500 dead.

Masked thieves have mashed through a security gate at the Windsor Castle estate and stole farm vehicles, according to reports.

Two men scaled a 6ft fence at night and used a stolen truck to break through a gate at the royal venue, according to The Sun.

The men reportedly fled with a pick-up and a quad bike stored in a barn.

The burglary is said to have happened on 13 October.

The King was not in residence but William and Kate were believed to be at Adelaide Cottage with George, 11, Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Louis.

It is five minutes away and the family are regularly seen using the wrecked gate — the nearest exit to their home.

In a statement to the newspaper, Thames Valley Police said: “At around 11.45pm on Sunday October 13, we received a report of burglary at a property on Crown Estate land near to the A308 in Windsor.

“Offenders entered a farm building and made off with a black Isuzu pick-up and a red quad bike. They then made off towards the Old Windsor/Datchet area.

“No arrests have been made at this stage and an investigation is ongoing.”

Peter Laurie, Battersea’s chief executive, said; “We’re very sad to hear that Beth, HM The Queen’s rescue dog, has sadly passed away. Her Majesty, our Patron, rehomed Beth from Battersea in 2011 and we have many fond memories of Beth visiting our centres over the years.  Our thoughts are with Their Majesties at this time, we know how difficult it is to lose a beloved pet and Beth was very special indeed.”

The Princess of Wales is making a steady return to royal duties following what has been one of the most tumultuous years of her life.

In March, Kate confirmed she had been diagnosed with an unknown form of cancer. What followed was a nine-month battle as she underwent “preventative chemotherapy”.

She endured intense online speculation in the weeks leading up to the public announcement and has largely stayed out of the spotlight since.