What you need to know
Duchess Kate and Prince William are getting ready for their date night.
The Prince and Princess of Wales will be dressed in their finest at the annual extravagant pre-holiday show on Wednesday, November 19th.
The couple, both 43, will be in the holiday spirit as guests of honor at this year’s Royal Variety Performance, which will be held at the Royal Albert Hall, a short drive from their Kensington Palace home in London.
The show will benefit the Royal Variety Charity, which supports people who have worked professionally in the world of entertainment. Since 2024, the charity has given particular attention to people in need of help due to mental health issues, an area close to the hearts of both Kate and Prince William.
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The evening will be hosted by British comedian Jason Manford and will include some of the top shows currently taking place on West End stages. The royal couple will be hoping they don’t become the butt of jokes, as they have in the past.
In 2014, comedian Jack Whitehall referenced his former classmate Princess Kate during a performance, joking that the two had attended Marlborough College. “I told her she was the one who got away. I told her she was one of my first loves at school, so we had a little bit of an affair,” he later explained during an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show in November 2014.
And the last time they attended in 2023, William was caught on camera bursting into laughter during comedian Tom Allen’s performance.
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This year, as well as singing from stars such as Jessie J and Icelandic singer Laufey, the royal couple will celebrate the show’s 40th anniversary with an exclusive recital of Paddington The Musical by the show’s composer Tom Fletcher, and performances by the West End and Paris cast of Les Misérables, including Michael Ball and Matt Lucas.
Afterwards, Duchess Kate and Prince William will speak to the cast and representatives from the Royal Variety Charity. This will be the sixth time the Prince and Duchess have attended the Royal Variety Performance.
The couple last attended a show in 2023, when surprise guests included a special royal presence: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel, who attended the event during a three-day visit to the UK.
Last year it was King Charles’ turn. He attended alone as his wife, Queen Camilla, was absent hours before the show due to a lingering chest infection.
The show will air on ITV1 in the UK in December, so it marks the end of the holiday and Christmas period for the royal family. Last week it was announced that another annual tradition, the Duchess Kate’s carol service, Together at Christmas, will be held at Westminster Abbey on December 5th.
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This year’s fifth annual carol service will feature appearances by Kate Winslet, Hannah Waddingham, Dan Smith, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and more.
