King attends Royal Variety Performance alone after Queen pulls out

King Charles was each smiles arsenic helium made a solo entranceway astatine the 2024 Royal Variety Performance connected Friday evening, marking his archetypal quality arsenic patron of the Royal Variety Charity since taking connected the relation earlier this year.

The King, who has attended the lawsuit for much than 50 years, was greeted by Lord Lieutenant of Greater London, Sir Kenneth Olisa, earlier being introduced to the President of the Royal Albert Hall, Ian McCulloch, and the CEO of the venue, James Ainscough.

As helium moved down the line, Charles exchanged pleasantries with Giles Cooper OBE, president of the Royal Variety Charity, who expressed his sympathy for the Queen’s absence.

“Very atrocious to perceive Her Majesty couldn’t marque it,” Cooper told the King, earlier introducing him to notable guests, including Sir Elton John and his hubby David Furnish, who person precocious produced deed philharmonic The Devil Wears Prada. The King besides met stars from Oliver! including Simon Lipkin and Jack Philpott.

Inside the venue, Charles was shown a stunning knitted exemplary of the Royal Variety Performance stage, created by residents of Brinsworth House, the Royal Variety Charity’s attraction location successful Twickenham. The intricate piece, featuring Sir Elton astatine the piano, had already been fixed the royal seal of support by the Duchess of Edinburgh earlier this twelvemonth astatine the Royal Windsor Flower Show.

A young 10-year-old, Louie Cooper, past presented the King with the evening’s programme, portion eight-year-old Iris King-Taylor offered a beauteous posy of flowers meant for the Queen. The bouquet, hand-picked from Brinsworth House’s gardens, was a tribute to the flowers Her Majesty carried connected her wedding day. Charles, smiling warmly, asked Louie, “Have you had a look astatine it?” earlier turning to Mr Cooper and commenting, “Very good organised.”

As the King made his mode to the Royal Box, the assemblage roseate to their feet arsenic the nationalist anthem played, accompanied by a fanfare from authorities trumpeters. The royal household has a agelong past with the Royal Variety Performance, with Charles attending for the 16th clip and archetypal appearing successful 1968.

Hosted by Alan Carr and Amanda Holden, the lawsuit featured star-studded performances, including a philharmonic fig from The Devil Wears Prada featuring Sir Elton John and Vanessa Williams, arsenic good arsenic a show from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express. Other highlights included magic from Penn and Teller, drama from Matt Forde, and appearances from Cirque Du Soleil and the English National Ballet. TV presenter Lorraine Kelly besides took to the signifier with her Change and Check choir, raising consciousness for aboriginal bosom crab detection.

The nationalist anthem was sung by Marisha Wallace, an American vocalist and histrion who is starring successful Dreamgirls, who said the infinitesimal was “life changing”.

Before the show she wrote connected X: “Today I volition beryllium singing the British National Anthem astatine Royal Variety for the Royal Family and the nation. And arsenic idiosyncratic who is an expat and is lone a mates weeks distant from citizenship this means a lot. Thank you British nationalist for adopting maine and accepting me. Life changing.

“I ne'er thought I 8 years agone erstwhile I got present I would beryllium doing each this and the enactment I person gotten from you each has truly helped. I’m feeling precise Brit-ish today.”

She aboriginal performed And I Am Telling You.

The Royal Variety Performance, which volition aerial connected ITV1, ITVX, STV, and STV Player successful December, raises funds for the Royal Variety Charity, supporting those successful the amusement manufacture successful request of assistance. This year, the foundation has launched a caller inaugural focusing connected intelligence wellness support.

Though the Queen was primitively expected to articulation the King astatine the event, her doctors advised her to prioritise remainder aft experiencing post-viral symptoms from a caller thorax infection. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed that the Queen, 77, had withdrawn from the show “with large regret” but hoped to instrumentality to afloat wellness soon.

A royal root revealed that the Queen, who has returned to duties pursuing a caller circuit of Australia and Samoa, was “naturally disappointed” to miss the evening but remained committed to the thought that “the amusement indispensable spell on.”

The Queen volition enactment successful London earlier heading to Sandringham for the week, with plans to resume her nationalist duties soon.