The Prince and Princess of Wales put on a united front at last week’s Royal Variety Performance, despite being rocked by harmful allegations in a controversial new royal biography.
The couple, who were joined by Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, were all smiles as they greeted fellow guests at the star-studded event at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
But their dignified appearance came amid a truly tumultuous week for the royal family – and for Kate in particular – following the publication of author Omid Scobie’s explosive new book, Endgame.
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As well as claims of escalating tensions between Prince William and King Charles, owing to an alleged “error” the Dutch edition of Endgame sensationally revealed the names of two senior royals implicated in the alleged race scandal surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son, Archie.
And while the mainstream British media initially refrained from naming the royals in question, TalkTV host Piers Morgan sensationally revealed that it was King Charles and the Princess of Wales who – according to Scobie – speculated on Prince Archie’s skin colour ahead of his birth.
According to former BBC Royal Correspondent Jennie Bond, Kate and William’s “business as usual” approach is the best way to deal with the scandal.
“They are carrying on with their work, refusing to be drawn into a public spat about such vicious allegations,” she told OK!. “I thought Kate looked fabulous – head held high and determined – despite the furore and the questions being fired at them as they got out of the car.
“William seemed a touch more protective than usual, holding her hand and guiding her in.”
Kate, who oozed elegance in a teal gown by British brand Safiyaa, looked relaxed as she and her husband enjoyed the 95th Royal Variety Performance, which was hosted by Bradley Walsh and included performances from pop icon Cher, boy band McFly and Ted Lasso star, Hannah Waddingham.
But the biggest round of applause was reserved for Kate and William, who received a standing ovation from the adoring crowd. According to body language expert Judi James, the couple got things just right.
“Their red carpet appearance following the claims and slurs from the Scobie book looked like a deliberate masterclass in what a genuine royal power couple should look like,” she said.
“Kate and William’s eye contact was intimate and formed a tie-sign that they both seemed to understand. It was a rare reveal in terms of the couple’s mutual affection, bonding and support – but a very telling one in the face of the current claims.”
Despite speculation that Buckingham Palace is considering legal action in light of Scobie’s allegations, royal expert Jennie claims Kate and William’s decision to stay silent on the matter is the best course of action.
“I think the tactics deployed by William and Kate, and by the King and Queen Camilla, have been highly effective and dignified,” she said.
“Except for William’s one comment to a reporter that ‘we are very much not a racist family’ [following Meghan and Harry’s Oprah interview in 2021], every attack and accusation fired at them has been met by silence – and a pointed determination to carry on with their work.”
In light of Endgame’s allegations, a royal source told OK! that the Prince of Wales has now had enough of his brother, Prince Harry, and is looking ahead at a monarchy without the involvement of him or Meghan.
“It’s obvious that the information included in the book has come from a very good source close to the Sussexes,” the source said. “There was a slight glimmer of hope that relations could have been repaired before the release of the book, at least on a surface level.
"But that’s no longer the case and there’s certainly no going back for the brothers now. William is very much under the impression that once the media hype has died down surrounding the latest book, there isn’t much more to be said and it will be business as usual – without the Sussexes. He’s already busy planning ahead and doesn’t see a future for the Sussexes in the royal family.”
King Charles was also hard at work this week and touched down in Dubai on Thursday to attend the COP28 summit. Asked how he was feeling by Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Charles appeared to brush off the royal racism row, replying, “I’m all right… just about,” before adding, “Having had a rather ancient birthday recently, recovering from the shock of that.”
The King called for urgent action on the climate crisis, as he told the crowd, “In 2050, our grandchildren won’t be asking what we said, they will be living with the consequences of what we did or didn’t do.”
Like Kate and William, King Charles seems to be doing what the royals do best in times of crisis, keeping calm and carrying on.
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