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One of the biggest nights of the year for the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton) is less than a month away, but now it’s being reported that her mind is on what her sister-in-law, Meghan Markle, will do on that day to try to upstage her.

We’re talking about the princess’s annual carol concert, Together At Christmas. The service is hosted by Kate each year and was started in 2021 to honor charity workers, community leaders, volunteers, and individuals who support others through hardships. Around 1,600 guests attend the service at Westminster Abbey, including members of the royal family.

A source told Heat World, “Kate absolutely loves Christmas, and this concert means the world to her. She puts so much thought and effort into making it special, and it’s become something she’s incredibly proud of. But she’s heard that [Prince] Harry and Meghan are looking to do some festive events with their charities, potentially around the same time—and she’s made it clear she’s not happy. She feels this is her moment and doesn’t want it turning into another competition between the two couples.

“Harry and Meghan really want to do something involving causes close to their hearts in the run-up to Christmas, but they’re holding off announcing anything until Kate confirms when her concert is taking place. Kate doesn’t want to confirm her date and then find the Sussexes suddenly appearing at another high-profile event and attracting all the headlines.”

The insider added, “[Kate’s] not suggesting they shouldn’t do any Christmas events, but she feels there should be some consideration for what she’s doing, too. She’s worked incredibly hard to establish this concert, and she doesn’t want to spend the build-up worrying if the Sussexes are trying to grab the attention. Christmas is Kate’s thing, and she wants them to stay in their lane.”

The idea of the Sussexes planning something on the same day the princess has a major event is not far-fetched. For years, Meghan and Harry have been accused of deliberately trying to steal the spotlight from the royals and events important to the family with their own news or project announcements.

Some examples of this royal watchers have pointed to include when the duke and duchess first announced they were stepping down and were moving to America. They did so on Jan. 8, 2020, which was one day before Kate’s birthday. Because Megxit was such big news around the world, the princess was barely mentioned at all the following day.

Three years later, Kate’s brother-in-law chose Jan. 10 as the date to release his memoir Spare. While that was the day before the princess’s birthday, Harry was well aware that excerpts would be leaked and dissected beforehand, leaving most outlets to focus on those bombshells rather than anything about Kate’s birthday.

And prior to that, Volume II of the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan was released on Dec. 15, the very night the Princess of Wales hosted her second annual Christmas concert at Westminster Abbey. 

Another example is when Meghan picked the day of the U.K.’s Trooping the Colour in 2024, which was also Kate’s first appearance since she revealed her cancer diagnosis, to unveil a new jam flavor and dog biscuits for her As Ever brand.

So just what could Meghan or Harry do this year on the night the princess has her concert? It’s not yet known, but thinking about it may be keeping Kate up at night.

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