Heavy/Getty Adam Lambert, Princess Kate
Adam Lambert received a holiday invitation he couldn’t refuse this season. The “American Idol” alum and current Queen frontman recently shared on Instagram that he was “thrilled” to be asked by Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, to perform at her holiday program in London for a bevy of special guests.
Lambert, 41, dressed in an emerald green suit paired with gold glitter platform shoes met Princess Kate at the historic Westminster Abbey on December 8, 2023. Though he’d performed for the royal family before with Queen, whom he’s toured with since 2011, he told People that this experience was very different.
Here’s what you need to know:
Adam Lambert Called Meeting Princess Kate ‘Lovely’
GettyPrincess Kate speaks with Adam Lambert at The “Together At Christmas” Carol Service at Westminster Abbey on December 8, 2023.
Lambert was asked by the princess to perform at her third annual “Together At Christmas” carol concert, which will be broadcast on Britain’s ITV on Christmas Eve. Before the concert, she met with the handful of participants she’d invited including the Westminster Abbey choir, Jacob Collier, Freya Ridings and Jim Broadbent.
“I had the honor of meeting Catherine, Princess of Wales,” Lambert told People. “She invited the performers she wanted to see at the service, and it was lovely to visit with her before we performed.”
He added, “It’s a really flattering invite to receive from Princess Kate, to come and sing at this special event.”
Lambert, who was runner-up on the eighth season of “American Idol,” sang a duet of “The Christmas Song” with British singer-songwriter Beverly Knight just before Prince William shared a Bible reading, People reported. An attendee told the outlet William and Kate’s children — George, Charlotte and Louis — “watched intently” as Lambert and Knight sang.
Thank you to everyone who has been a part of our special carol service, Together at Christmas.
From the performers whose voices filled Westminster Abbey, to the early years workforce of carers, midwives, nurses and so many more who are not only making a difference to children…
The concert also benefitted Princess Kate’s Shaping Up Campaign, which she launched in early 2023 to support early childhood initiatives.
As part of the launch, she said in a statement, “In these difficult times, it is more important than ever to help support parents and caregivers provide loving, safe and secure homes for their babies and young children to thrive.”
Adam Lambert Was Particularly Impressed by Westminster Abbey
Even though Lambert has performed at venues all around the world, he told People that singing in Westminster Abbey was particularly special. And though he sang for the Royal Family during the Queen’s Jubilee in 2022, he told People that he was “quite far away on the other side of the crowd.”
The cathedral has a rich history in the royal family, including being the site of the Prince and Princess of Wales’ 2011 wedding and King Charles’ coronation in May 2023. According to Westminster Abbey’s website, “40 monarchs have been crowned in the Abbey since 1066.”
Lambert told People the Abbey is “a place that I’ve seen on television and in photos for years but have never been to myself, so it is quite breathtaking.”
“I’ve always loved history and old architecture, and this is sort of my sweet spot,” he continued. “I was able to walk around a little bit after my rehearsal and just kind of take a little self-guided tour of some of the areas inside at the Abbey and it’s just breathtaking, and the amount of history in here is nuts. You know you have the tombs of monarchs and poets and other iconic historical figures, so it’s pretty wild.”
Lambert said he loved how serene the cathedral was for his performance at the Christmas concert.
“(It was) very still, which added a calmness to my energy,” he said. “The song felt sort of like a lullaby.”
Lambert isn’t the only “American Idol” star to have been invited to perform for the royal family this year. In May, judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie were asked to attend King Charles’ coronation and perform at the massive celebration afterwards.