Harry Styles tells the Duchess of Cambridge 'congratulations on the bump' at star-studded Royal Variety Performance

 
Meet and greet: The Duchess of Cambridge with Harry Styles (Yui Mok/PA)
Standard Reporter14 November 2014

Harry Styles passed on his congratulations to the Duchess of Cambridge at the London Palladium this evening.

The One Direction singer met Kate and Prince William as the Royal couple made their first appearance at the Royal Variety Performance.

Kate, resplendent in a Diane von Furstenburg gown, gave little indication that she is nearly halfway through her second pregnancy.

But that did not deter 1D singer Styles, who said after meeting the Duchess: "I said congratulations on the bump," though he added that she "didn't look bumpy".

The royal couple chatted with the band about their touring plans - with Prince William promising he had been "keeping a close eye" on the young pop stars.

"It's the most nervous I think I've ever been in my life," band member Liam Payne said.

Louis Tomlinson said he feared he had made a serious faux pas. "I didn't say ma'am," he said, as the royal couple made their way into the theatre. "I said - Hi. How are you? I'm Louis." Payne joked: "So he's off to a bad start."

The band was due to take to the stage this evening, along with Bette Midler, Ed Sheeran and the couple's wedding singer, Ellie Goulding. Simply Red, whose frontman Mick Hucknall was one of the favourite artists of William's late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, was also due to perform.

Royal Variety Performance

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There were big laughs from the audience as Kate's old schoolmate, comedian Jack Whitehall, joked about how his mother was disappointed he had not snapped the former Ms Middleton up when he had the chance.

Prince William meets members of One Direction (Getty Images)

"She'll be doing it tonight, she'll be watching the Royal Variety show and I know what she'll be saying - she'll be like: 'Oh look, there he is,"' he joked. '"The black sheep of the family, embarrassing himself in front of the one that got away."'

Traditionally, the Queen has taken it in turns with the Prince of Wales to attend the show, and it had been expected to be the monarch who would be seated in the royal box this year, but William and Kate's attendance is a demonstration of how the younger members of the family are stepping in to help the Queen, who turns 89 next year.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall watched the performance last year, while the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh last went in the Diamond Jubilee year of 2012.

The Princess Royal represented the Royal Family in 2011.

The event is held in aid of the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund, of which the Queen is patron. The show will be screened on ITV in December.

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