For Kate Middleton, this Christmas is going to be particularly poignant.
The Princess of Wales is expected be front and center as the royal family unite on Dec. 25 for their annual walk to church at St. Mary Magdalene on Christmas Day morning.
“It’s going to be such a huge moment because the last time we saw her, before we knew anything about her health issues, was last Christmas,” Bethan Holt, fashion director at The Telegraph, tells PEOPLE. “It’s almost going to be like a bookend moment on a very difficult time.”
During a year which Prince William described as “brutal” after both his wife and father King Charles were diagnosed with cancer, Kate’s public appearances have been few and far between after major abdominal surgery in January and months of chemotherapy following her publicly announcing her cancer diagnosis in March.
In September, the Princess of Wales, 42, released an emotional video showing her at home in Norfolk with her family, announcing that she had finished her cancer treatment and was “looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months.” She has since spoken of being in a “new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life.”
Kate and William did not attend the annual pre-Christmas lunch hosted by King Charles at Buckingham Palace on Dec. 19 as they were already in Norfolk for the holidays. It’s believed the entire family will attend the Christmas Day church service at St. Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate, and the festive outing is an annual highlight for royal fans as the family are photographed walking in and out of the church, often stopping to greet members of the public.
“Just seeing those interactions as they walk, the cousins all together and seeing the cheeky things they might be getting up to, there’s a real sense of them as a unit,” says Holt, adding, “It’s a glimpse into what they are like behind the scenes as a family. It’s a big moment for them in their year.”
As for what Kate will wear, Holt hopes for something cheery to mark the start of brighter days ahead.
“I’m hoping to see something bold and celebratory,” says the author of The Duchess of Cambridge: A Decade of Modern Style, who notes that Kate’s red Alexander McQueen jacket worn at her carol concert on Dec. 6 had echoes of the late Princess Diana and was a softer look to last year’s white trousers and matching jacket ensemble.
“It would be fun to see her continue with the nod to Diana, maybe in a tartan coat or in a really bright color. Something jolly, maybe something with a vintage vibe,” Holt says, noting that, while Kate wore a vibrant blue coat from Alexander McQueen last year, she does tend to wear things that are “quite serious, very elegant in a country chic way.”
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For many, seeing the royal family on Christmas Day is part of their own family tradition, whether it’s a glimpse of them all arriving at church in the morning or watching the King’s speech in the afternoon (the annual Christmas message airs at 3 p.m. U.K. time).
“Seeing the royals on Christmas Day is synonymous with a really classic British Christmas, and it simply wouldn’t feel like Christmas Day without it,” Holt says.
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