Stars at the Royal Variety Performance including Jessie J, Stephen Fry, Gladiators, Laufey and more

The Prince and Princess of Wales shook hands with Paddington Bear after the Royal Variety Performance on Wednesday night, before Kate shared a hug with Jessie J which the singer said was prompted by their shared experience of cancer.

William and Kate were entertained by a cast of famous faces at the Royal Albert Hall and enjoyed performances by Paddington The Musical’s West End cast and singer-songwriters Jessie J and Laufey.

After the performance, William and Kate met McFly singer Tom Fletcher, who wrote the music and lyrics for the new Paddington musical. William told Fletcher he thought the performance of the new musical was “fantastic”, before shaking hands with Paddington Bear.

Pointing to the marmalade sandwich in the bear’s paw, the prince said: “Your sandwich looks very nice.”

The royal couple also met Jessie J, who performed I’ll Never Know Why, her new song inspired by losing a friend to suicide.

Sir Stephen Fry, who performed an excerpt from Oscar Wilde’s The Importance Of Being Earnest, discussed his recent Celebrity Traitors appearance with William.

To close the show, a cast of 400 performed a special medley of songs from Les Miserables to mark the musical’s 40th anniversary, during which William could be seen laughing at a joke made at his expense. Before performing Master Of The House, Monsieur Thenardier gestured towards the Royal Box and quipped: “Oh no, I thought it was going to be the other fella, the one on the coins.”

The annual Royal Variety Performance was first staged in 1912 for King George V and Queen Mary in aid of the Royal Variety Charity. The charity provides care and assistance to those working in the entertainment industry, including those suffering with physical or mental health issues. The show will be screened on ITV in December.