The Princess of Wales brushed off the fallout from a racing row this evening as she dazzled in a stunning dress as she arrived at the Royal Variety Performance.
Kate, 41, teamed her stunning £1,288 Talina dress from Safiyaa with an equally stunning smile as she stepped out in Kensington, showing no signs of fear after a turbulent week for the royal family following the release of a bombshell book.
Senior members of the British royal family are said to be “dismayed” by the row after Omid Scobie’s book mentioned two names of senior royals who he claimed had expressed “concern” about the color of Prince Archie’s skin.
The Dutch version of his book Endgame was pulled from shelves in the Netherlands after it appeared to list the names of the two kings – which Scobie attributed to a translation error. The couple identified in the book were tonight widely referred to as King Charles and Kate by media organizations around the world, including the Guardian and the Times.
Amid the controversy, the Princess of Wales maintained her business-as-usual attitude as she attended the annual event with Prince William and their guests, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, dressed in a black totem dress, and Prince Daniel participated.
Prince William gallantly took his wife’s hand as the couple walked the red carpet to attend the Royal Variety Performance
The Prince and Princess of Wales were seen chatting to an actor who was appearing at the Royal Variety Performance this evening
They were seen speaking to comedian Rosie Jones this evening
The royal couple were also spotted chatting to Swedish singer Zara Larsson this evening
The couple identified in the book were tonight widely referred to as King Charles and Kate by media organizations around the world, including the Guardian and the Times.
However, the princess brushed aside the mentions as she arrived at the 2023 Royal Variety Performance in the stunning gown, which featured flared sleeves and statement shoulders, as well as a bejeweled high neck.
She wore a chunky gemstone bracelet with matching earrings, carried a sparkly clutch and wore her thick brunette locks in bouncy curls.
Meanwhile, Prince William looked dapper in a black tuxedo and acted like the perfect gentleman as he shook hands with his wife as she walked on the red carpet.
On arrival they met ITV executives before meeting Daphne Selfe, who at 95 is the world’s oldest supermodel.
Excited crowds gathered outside the hall to look through the windows at the king’s arrival.
Speaking to Ms Selfe, Prince William said: “You’re modeling at 95, it’s incredible,” before adding: “They don’t force you to travel around too much, do they?”
The Prince and Princess of Wales beamed, displacing any sense of the controversy that has engulfed the royal family following the racial strife reignited by Omid Scobie’s book
The Prince and Princess of Wales displayed a usual demeanor as they attended the 2023 Royal Variety Performance amid an intensifying racial row reignited by Omid Scobie
The Prince of Wales looked dapper at the event in a tuxedo with a black velvet jacket and bow tie
The British royals and their Swedish counterparts stood for a rendition of God Save the King led by Samantha Barks
As the performances began, the Prince and Princess of Wales beamed and applauded
The royal couple appeared impressed by the performances as they watched from the royal box
When she arrived at the Royal Albert Hall, the Princess of Wales was presented with a bouquet of flowers
Kate smiled as she accepted the flowers presented to her by a young girl in a pretty burgundy dress
The Princess of Wales told Ms Selfe that she “loved” her dress, which had red feather tassel sleeves, to which she replied that Kate was very tall.
The princess then joked: “I’m pretty tall and I wear high heels, so I’m cheating.”
Prince William added: “I don’t wear high heels.”
Bouquets of English and Swedish national flowers were then presented to the Princess of Wales and the Princess of Sweden.
Before the performance began, the Prince and Princess of Wales were welcomed into the royal box with a rendition of God Save the Queen, performed by West End star Samantha Barks, who plays Elsa in the musical Frozen.
The event benefits the Royal Variety Charity, which supports members of the entertainment industry with a nationwide grants program to help those who have worked professionally in the entertainment industry during this very difficult economic climate.
Crown Prince Victoria of Sweden also accepted a bouquet of flowers upon her arrival to the performance
Crown Princess Victoria wore a black feather dress from Swedish brand Toteme, while her husband Prince Daniel wore an elegant tuxedo
The Swedish royals stood in the foyer of the Royal Albert Hall ahead of the performance in 2023 during their visit to the United Kingdom
Female Fashion Conclusion: A stunning princess, stylish in a cape
By Alice Hare
As her gallant prince took her by the hand, the Princess of Wales stepped out for the Royal Variety Performance last night in a stunning sky blue dress with dramatic, flowing cape-style sleeves.
It was the perfect choice for a sub-zero night in the capital. Kate’s dress from London brand Safiyaa cost £1,545 and featured shoulder pads and a tailored jeweled neckline to add to the drama.
A sparkling £445 Jenny Packham clutch, dazzling diamond and sapphire bracelet and matching blue heels completed the red carpet look, while her glossy mane lay exposed in the occasionally gusty evening air. By the way, the Duchess of Sussex also knows the power of a cape dress, as she wore a red creation at her last royal engagement in March 2020 – again by Safiyaa and also at the Royal Albert Hall.
Somehow the dramatic impact of a cape never spills over into pageantry: it’s always chic.
Bradley Walsh, who hosted the show, said it was “an honor” to serve the monarchy and present the Royal Variety Performance – but joked he would be grateful for a CBE.
There was also a brief appearance by Simon Cowell, who came on stage wearing yellow-tinted Bono-style glasses because of his “terrible eyesight” to introduce Britain’s Got Talent winner Viggo Venn (CORR).
The Prince and Princess of Wales seemed to particularly enjoy a sketch by West End magician Simon Lipkin, in which Bradley Walsh played the role of a servant.
Mr. Walsh pointed to Their Highnesses and said, “If I am not knighted after this, there will be no justice,” whereupon the Prince and Princess laughed together.
After the show, Their Highnesses met artists including Cher, who performed her new Christmas single, “DJ Play a Christmas Song.”
Prince William said: “It’s an energetic song, isn’t it!”
They then spoke to artists like McFly, Mel C and Paloma Faith.
Faith, who was still barefoot during their appearance, said the Prince and Princess of Wales were “really nice and very relaxed”.
She added: “They said they didn’t mind me not wearing shoes as it made me feel more comfortable.”
“They just calm you down, it’s a real skill.”
The British royals will no doubt hope that an evening of entertainment at the Royal Albert Hall, with performances from Rick Astley, Zara Larsson and music icon Cher, will distract from an unpleasant week that has seen a 2021 controversy rehashed in Scobie’s book.
After Samantha’s performance, who is currently playing Elsa in Frozen in the West End, the royals applauded
Before the performance, Prince William greeted Daphne Selfe, a 95-year-old supermodel
William appeared to share a comical moment with the model, who was photographed by David Bailey and appeared in the pages of Vogue throughout her career
Before the performance, Their Royal Highnesses also met with Vicki Michelle, best known for her role as Yvette Carte-Blanche in Allo ‘Allo
The royal couple beamed as they stepped out of the car and onto the red carpet ahead of an evening of entertainment
Allegations first surfaced in 2021 that a member of the royal family had “concerns” about Prince Archie’s skin color during Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Meghan, who was pregnant with Princess Lilibet at the time, told the veteran broadcaster there had been “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be.”
She added that the conversations took place between Prince Harry and members of his family, but declined to name the people involved because she believed “that would cause them great harm.”
Harry later added in the same interview: “That conversation… I will never share.”
In another sit-down interview with ITV’s Tom Bradby earlier this year while promoting his memoir Spare, the Duke of Sussex claimed he and Meghan never said his family was “racist” in relation to those alleged conversations.
Windswept Kate! The Princess of Wales looked elegant amid a gust of wind that blew her hair up
Kate, 41, opted for natural makeup with a touch of eyeliner, a nude lip, some blush and bronzer
Ever the gentleman, Pricne William took Kate’s hand as she walked the red carpet to enter the Royal Albert Hall
Kate looked effortlessly elegant as she arrived at the Royal Variety Performance in a teal Safiyaa dress
Kate stunned as she debuted the dress, which featured statement shoulders and flared sleeves
The couple shared a sweet moment when William shook hands with Kate
The princess’ stunning teal dress featured a bejeweled stand-up collar and distinctive shoulder pads
Kate and William looked like a picture-perfect couple as they arrived on the red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall
Prince William held his wife’s hand in a gentlemanly gesture as she walked the red carpet
The Prince of Wales took his wife’s hand as they walked the red carpet into the Royal Albert Hall
Instead, he said his family members showed “unconscious bias.”
As the controversy surrounding the book continues, Omid Scobie appeared on ITV’s This Morning today where he claimed he was “just as frustrated as everyone else” over the controversy surrounding the book’s Dutch translation.
He told presenters that he did not name the two royals who were accused of discussing the skin color of Harry and Meghan’s son Archie when he presented the finished manuscript to his publisher.
However, Saskia Peeters, who translated the book from English into Dutch, told Web today: “As a translator, I translate what is in front of me.”
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel were Kate and William’s guests this evening
Crown Princess Victoria chose a striking black dress with a shawl and feather structure when she arrived with Prince Daniel
The Swedish royals brought glamor to South Kensington with their arrival at this year’s event
Kate looked elegant despite what was likely to be a bitterly cold gust of wind as she braved the freezing temperatures
The Princess of Wales stunned in a teal dress with flared sleeves as she arrived for the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall this evening
The princess looked elegant in the floor-length dress and beamed as she stepped out of the car upon her arrival
Mother-of-three Kate, 41, teamed her dress with dazzling accessories to attend the Royal Variety Performance
“The royals’ names were there in black and white.” I didn’t add them.
“I simply did what I was paid to do, which was to translate the book from English to Dutch.”
When the book’s author was told that Scobie had disputed the names in his manuscript, Ms. Peters said, “I don’t know why he would say that.”
“I have been translating for many years. This is the first time something like this has happened.
“It’s not something I wanted to be involved with. That was disturbing. ‘I don’t want to talk about it much anymore.’