Kate's family appears at second royal event in a month; camera captures sweet moment Duchess spots them in crowd

Kate Middleton invited her family to a second major royal event within a month, indicating that the Middletons will be coming more into the royal fold as the Duchess takes a more senior role within The Firm.

The Duchess of Cambridge was previously joined by her parents Carole and Michael Middleton, and brother James Middleton and his new wife Alizée Thevenet, when she arrived at the Royal Albert Hall with Prince William for the Royal Variety Performance last month. They were seen standing alongside Kate in the box left of the royal box as they stood to sing the national anthem.

Carole, Michael, James, and Alizée were also seen at the Christmas carol concert hosted by Kate at Westminster Abbey on Thursday, where they were also joined by Kate's sister Pippa Middleton. The concert, which was also attended by members of the British royal family including Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Zara and Mike Tindall, and Countess Sophie, marked the Middletons' second appearance at a high-profile royal event in less than a month.

A picture from the event showed the sweet moment the Duchess spotted her family in the audience cheering her on as she hosted her first carol concert. The camera captured the 39-year-old in the aisle at the abbey looking over at her younger siblings Pippa and James, who flashed supportive smiles as she walked past her family's row, reports People.

Kate's family has previously been invited by Queen Elizabeth II to spend Christmas with her and the rest of the royal family at her Sandringham estate in Norfolk. They were also invited for the royal family's annual summer holiday at the Queen's Balmoral estate in Scotland.

Kate and William along with their children, Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis, three, will spend this Christmas with the Queen at Sandringham. However, the children would likely also visit their maternal grandparents' home during the holiday season. Carole Middleton had previously said that she would be hiding festive gnomes around her house this year for the entertainment of her grandchildren.