Princess of Wales shares emotional hug with Jessie J over cancer experiences
The Princess of Wales and Jessie J shared an emotional embrace following their Royal Variety Performance on Wednesday, touched by their shared experience of cancer.
The pair spoke after a performance at the Royal Albert Hall, where the Prince and Princess of Wales were hosted by the West End cast. Paddington the MusicalAs well as performances by Jessie J and Laufey.
Jessie J, who performed her new song “I’ll Never Know Why”, inspired by losing a friend to suicide, hugged Kate after the show.
“From mom to mom who recently had cancer, I just wanted to hug her,” she said.
“We acknowledged that this is not an easy thing to go through, especially in the public eye.”
The “Price Tag” singer faced her own cancer surgery with a mastectomy for breast cancer in June. The 37-year-old actress, whose real name is Jessica Cornish, later announced that she would undergo a second surgery and had to postpone her autumn tour.
The singer said his oversized black hoodie and trousers outfit caused confusion among those attending the flashy black tie event.
Jessie J said: “Some people say, ‘Oh, you’re not dressed smart’, but that’s the whole point. When you’re feeling depressed and you’re sitting on the couch, you’re not wearing a sparkly dress, you’re covered in sweat and you want the world to swallow you up… that’s what I wanted to represent in my own way tonight.”
The royal couple also met McFly’s Tom Fletcher. Paddington the Musical Goal. The Prince told Fletcher the performance was “amazing” before shaking hands with Paddington Bear.
The prince pointed to the marmalade sandwich in the bear’s paw and said: “Your sandwich looks very nice.”
Performing an extract from Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Sir Stephen Fry spoke to William about his recent appearance on Celebrity Traitor.
Stephen Lambert, the creator of the Celebrity spin-off, previously told the PA news agency that William had shared that he and Kate were fans of Traitors when Lambert made him an OBE.
Asked by the Prince whether he and the Celebrity Traitors cast had kept in touch, Sir Stephen said they were bonded because so few people had shared their “weird experiences”.
Citing a scene in Celebrity Traitors in which the actress is heard audibly blowing wind during a stressful mission, Celia Imrie says “people are screaming ‘there’s wind coming!’ He added: “I can’t go anywhere without screaming.”
To close the show, a cast of 400 performed a special medley of Les Miserables songs to celebrate the musical’s 40th anniversary; Meanwhile, William was seen laughing at a joke made to him.
Before playing Master Of The House, Monsieur Thenardier pointed to the Royal Box and said humorously: “Oh no, I thought it would be the other man, the man on the coins.”
William and Kate also met 2025 Britain’s Got Talent winner, magic act Harry Molding.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the King’s membership of the prestigious magic society Magic Circle, Molding filmed part of his show at Buckingham Palace.
Charles was awarded honorary life membership in the association in October 1975 after performing a sleight-of-hand routine using cups and balls.
Harry told Kate: “Doing Buckingham Palace as part of the show was a dream come true, it couldn’t have been more perfect.”
Earlier in the evening, nine-year-old twins Emelia and Olivia Edwards, a staff family at Brinsworth House, a care home for entertainment industry workers supported by the Royal Variety Charity, presented Kate with flowers.
After asking if they were Paddington fans, the Princess said she had to tell the girls that they were “very sorry” that their children could not attend the show and that children were not allowed to go to the show.
“My children were very upset, we will have to keep it a big secret that I saw you,” he said.
“They were very sorry they couldn’t join us.”
The Annual Royal Variety Performance was first staged for King George V and Queen Mary in 1912 with the help of the Royal Variety Charity.
The charity provides care and assistance to those working in the entertainment industry, including those experiencing physical or mental health problems.
The series will be shown on ITV in December.
