The Princess of Wales has confessed her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will be "very sad" to have missed out on the opportunity to meet Paddington Bear on Wednesday evening.
Kate and her husband, Prince William, will be meeting the unofficial British mascot while at the Royal Variety Performance this evening. During a conversation with nine-year-old twins, Emelie and Olivia Edwards, Kate, 44, asked: “Are you two fans of Paddington?" The girls nodded and continued, "My kiddies will be very sad; we are going to have to keep it a big secret," as she brought her finger to her lips.
The twins presented the future Queen with flowers, which were picked from the Royal Variety charity's residential care home Brinsworth House in Twickenham.
Following their conversation with Emelie and Olivia, the royal couple made their way to the royal box. Upon their arrival, they were met by state trumpeters, with the audience taking to their feet and greeting the royal couple as Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins sang the national anthem.
This year’s show was hosted by Jason Manford and included an exclusive performance from Paddington The Musical, which opened at the Savoy Theatre at the start of the month.
Other highlights included performances from Jessie J, Harry Moulding and a 40th-anniversary celebration of the stage show Les Misérables.
Money raised from the star-studded event goes to help people from the world of entertainment in need of care and assistance, with the Royal Variety Charity launching an initiative to help those with mental health issues last year, a cause William and Catherine have long championed.
The charity also runs Brinsworth House, known as the Old Pro’s Paradise, for those who have worked in the entertainment industry.
After the show, the prince and princess will go backstage to greet the acts, including a special meet and greet with Paddington - who is set to gift them a marmalade sandwich.
The beloved fictional bear became synonymous with the late Queen Elizabeth after she appeared in a cameo with the marmalade-loving character for her Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
After the monarch died in September that year, well-wishers left Paddington toys and marmalade sandwiches as tributes outside royal residences such as Buckingham Palace. Senior members of the Royal Family take it in turns to attend the glittering event, with the King, patron of the charity, attending last year’s show.
Tonight’s performance marked the sixth time William and Kate have attended the show together, and the Princess’s first since her cancer recovery.