Prince William and Kate take children to the panto! Best photos from their festive outing

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis enjoyed an early Christmas treat on Friday as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took them to a pantomime. William in a Marks and Spencer jumperand Kate, in an Alessandra Rich dress, arrived hand in hand with their children to watch Pantoland at the London Palladium, joining a special performance hosted by The National Lottery for key workers and their families.

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George, seven, looked all grown up in a red and navy striped sweater, while Charlotte, five, wore a sweet tartan dress and black tights, but appeared reluctant to hold her father's hand. Louis, now two-and-a-half, wore a smart navy coat as the family arrived at the West End theatre for their first red carpet engagement as a family of five. 

WATCH: The Cambridges enjoy a day out at the panto

How adorable do Louis, Charlotte and George look?

Keep clicking for more photos!

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Little Louis is now two and a half years old.

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Kate looked stunning in an Alessandra Rich dress.

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The Cambridges stopped to look at performers dressed as elves, including one juggling artificial snowballs, as they made their way to the entrance, where they were greeted by Sir Ken Olisa, Lord Lieutenant of Greater London.

The couple spoke to Dom Warren and family. Dom is the founder of Doms Food Mission.

Inside, the royal children sat in the Royal Box for the first time and watched as Prince William made a speech on the stage below. But it looks like little Charlotte was having a moment at one point.

Poor Charlotte leant into her mum Kate before the performance began.

Louis, who sat on Kate's lap, seemed more interested in a glitter ball hanging over the auditorium, pointing up at it and talking to his mother, while also sucking his thumb. 

On stage, the Duke paid tribute to those in the audience and also to Dame Barbara Windsor, whose death aged 83 was announced earlier in the day.

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He said: "Before I go on, I want to pause and pay tribute to a true national treasure, Dame Barbara Windsor, who so sadly passed away last night. "She was a giant of the entertainment world, and of course a legend on pantomime stages across the country including here at the London Palladium. And I know we'll all miss her hugely."

He told the audience: "We are here tonight for a very special performance. Special, because of you – the key workers here in the audience. "You include community workers, volunteers, teachers, NHS staff, representatives from the emergency services and military, researchers working on the vaccine, people helping the homeless, those manning vital call centres, and staff from a wide range of frontline charities – to name but a few.

"You have given your absolute all this year, and made remarkable sacrifices. So too have your families, who I'm sure have seen far less of you than they would have liked. It's lovely that you are all here together tonight.

"You are representative of the huge number of people across the UK who have stepped forward to make a difference this year in so many crucial ways. The country owes you a huge debt of gratitude. "

Charlotte and George were also pictured chatting and whispering in the Royal Box.

Something definitely caught the Princess' eye!

Charlotte appeared engrossed by her dad's speech.

It was the first time we have seen the Cambridge children together since September, when they were photographed meeting Sir David Attenborough at Kensington Palace.

George, Charlotte and Louis have previously appeared together on the Buckingham Palace balcony after Trooping the Colour and at the King Power Royal Charity Polo Day. They also visited Kate's RHS Back to Nature Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in May 2019.