Duchess Kate and Prince William meet Paddington bear, but it may be a secret from their children

Duchess Kate and Prince William may be hiding a secret from Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis after their recent night out.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 43, made their first red carpet appearance together in two years at the Royal Variety Performance on Wednesday. November 19th. The annual fundraising event for the Royal Variety Charity featured appearances from Jessie J (who shared a sweet moment with Princess Kate during her battle with cancer), Icelandic singer Laufey and the West End cast of Les Misérables.

The night also included a performance of the musical Paddington, where the royal couple had the chance to meet the stars. We even took pictures together while eating marmalade sandwiches!

The beloved bear will be brought to life in more ways than one on stage in a new West End show. Actor James Hameed plays Paddington behind the scenes, remotely controls the bear on stage, and Aarti Shah physically embodies Paddington in costume in the musical.

Duchess Kate hinted that she might be jealous of her three children – Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7 – who were able to catch a glimpse of the musical.

In a video shared on social media by royal correspondent Emily Ferguson, the Princess of Wales met nine-year-old twins Emily and Olivia Edwards and was given a bouquet of flowers. The royal mother asked the girls if they were fans of Paddington Bear and said “the kids would be very sad” if they missed the event, quipping: “It’s going to have to be a big secret.”

Prince William and Princess Kate’s encounter with Paddington was actually a bit of a reunion. During a visit to London in October 2017, the royal couple, along with Prince Harry, passed children’s characters at a charity forum event at Paddington Station. Duchess Kate, who was pregnant with Prince Louis at the time, even danced with a bear in an unforgettable moment.

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The Prince and Princess of Wales aren’t the only members of the royal family with a special connection to Paddington Bear.

Queen Elizabeth appeared in a comedy skit with a bear during her Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, surprising even her family with a secret skit in which the King and Paddington have tea.

As a result, when Queen Elizabeth passed away in September of the same year, many mourners left stuffed Paddington Bears at the royal residence. Queen Camilla helped distribute some of the stuffed animals after washing them and donating them to Barnardo’s children’s charity.

The 2025 Royal Variety Performance will be the sixth time Prince William and Duchess Kate have attended an event together, and their first red carpet moment in two years, as the Duchess spent much of 2024 away from the spotlight due to her cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. She announced in January that she was in remission.

The couple wore matching velvet outfits, with Kate wearing a green gown and William opting for a black bow tie with blazer fabric.

It has been a tradition for members of the royal family to attend Royal Variety Performances since 1921, when King George V became life patron of the Royal Variety Charity, which supports entertainment industry professionals in need.

King Charles represented the royal family at last year’s soiree, attending alone after Queen Camilla canceled her plans to attend due to a chest infection.