Kate Middleton's Piano Performance At Christmas Concert Receives Praise: 'She Nailed It'

Kate Middleton's first-ever public performance on the piano has received praise not only from royal fans but also from the singer she accompanied.

In a surprise moment during the Friday broadcast of the "Royal Carols: Together at Christmas" carol concert — spearheaded and hosted by Middleton and supported by The Royal Foundation — the Duchess of Cambridge, 39, joined Tom Walker for a performance of his song, "For Those Who Can't Be Here."

The Brit Award winner had nothing but praise for Middleton, calling their collaboration a "once-in-a-lifetime experience."

"I thought she absolutely smashed the performance; it's not easy to just jump behind a piano with a bunch of musicians you've never played with before and record live takes to camera, but she completely nailed it," Walker said, according to People.

He continued, "It was a crazy pinch-yourself kind of day for me, to be in such a beautiful venue playing alongside the Duchess with my band and a string quartet. I certainly won't forget that in a hurry! My mum had a total freak-out when she saw it on the telly."

Walker described Middleton as a "lovely, kind and warm-hearted" person, adding that Prince William's wife made sure to thank everyone personally for the opportunity to play together.

A royal source told People that it was Middleton who approached Walker with the idea to collaborate on a performance after meeting the 30-year-old singer at a Forward Trust event in October. At the time, she heard him perform "Leave a Light On," his song about the struggles of those experiencing addiction.

According to the unnamed insider, Middleton asked Walker to perform his holiday song "For Those Who Can't Be Here" at the carol service because it had "such pertinence for so many this year" and "struck a chord" with the duchess herself.

The Duchess of Cambridge, who learned the piano as a child and took "great comfort" in playing music throughout the pandemic, then offered to play to accompany him, the source added.

"Music was very important to the Duchess during the lockdowns," the source was quoted as saying. "She also recognizes the powerful way in which music brings people together — especially during difficult times. For these reasons, she was keen to be part of Tom's performance in this way."

The insider added that Middleton and Walker had rehearsed the song together once in London and then recorded it over a "couple of takes."

Middleton and Walker then performed at Westminster Abbey's Chapter House for the Dec. 8 Christmas carol service, which aired on ITV and ITV Hub on Christmas Eve. The event paid tribute to the work of individuals and organizations across the U.K. who have supported their communities through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Walker said he believes that the song "will resonate with a lot of people this Christmas," adding that his "heart goes out to anyone raising a glass around the table remembering those who can't be with us."

In addition to Walker and Middleton's duet, Ellie Goulding sang a rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," while "Bleeding Love" hitmaker Leona Lewis performed "O Holy Night." Prince William also delivered a reading from Luke 2:1-7 during the service.