The Duchess of Sussex dazzled in black and white sequins as she arrived for her first Royal Variety Performance on Monday night.
Pregnant Meghan, 37, donned a sparkling £895 top and flowing £850 black maxi skirt by London-based designer Safiyaa as she joined husband Prince Harry, 34, for the annual event at the London Palladium.
The radiant royal beamed as she was greeted by seven-year-old Darcie-Rae Moyse, of Berkshire, who presented her with a beautiful posy of winter blooms.
Once inside the Duchess met performers, including Take That’s Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. Also present were cast members from the hit musical Hamilton, which the Duke and Duchess have seen twice together.
Pregnant Meghan dons a striking floral ensemble by London-based designer Safiyaa for the Royal Variety Performance
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are the epitome of black tie glamour at the event
The radiant royal beamed as she was greeted by seven-year-old Darcie-Rae Moyse, of Berkshire, who presented her with a beautiful posy of winter blooms
Once inside the Duchess met performers, including Take That’s Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen
The Duke of Sussex greets members of the cast from hit musical Hamilton, which he has seen twice with wife Meghan
Afterwards they took their places in the Royal Box for the National Anthem which was played by the the state trumpeters of the the band of the Household Cavalry and the Invictus Games Choir.
It was Harry’s second outing to the annual event, which is always attended by a member of the Royal Family, the first being in 2015.
As a former actress and performer herself, LA-born Meghan will no doubt take a keen interest in the proceedings – although it is unlikely she will ever have seen anything like tonight’s show before.
The Royal Variety Performance – a mixture of music, dance, singing and comedy – is held in aid of the Royal Variety Charity (RVC), of which The Queen is Patron.
The Duchess of Sussex waved at waiting well-wishers as she made her way inside the venue in central London on Monday
The sequinned top skimmed over the duchess’ blooming baby bump as she arrived
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were greeted outside the London Palladium before quickly making their way inside
The Duchess of Sussex was handed a small gift as she arrived for the Royal Variety Performance on a drizzly London evening
Harry and Meghan appeared in good spirits as they arrived at the London Palladium on Monday night
Prince Harry, representing his grandmother the Queen, escorted his wife the Duchess of Sussex inside the theatre
The money raised from the show helps hundreds of entertainers throughout the UK, who are in need of assistance as a result of old age, ill-health, or hard times.
In particular the charity assists former members of the entertainment industry living in Brinsworth House, a residential home it runs in Twickenham. The Duchess’s posy included foliage from the Brinsworth House garden.
The evening is being hosted by comedian Greg Davies and will include performances from Take That, the cast of Hamilton, George Ezra, Clean Bandit, the cast of ‘Tina, The Tina Turner Musical’, and Andrea and Matteo Bocelli.
The origins of the Royal Variety Performance date back to 1912 when King George V and Queen Mary agreed to attend a ‘Royal Command Performance’ at the Palace Theatre in London, in aid of the Variety Artistes’ Benevolent Fund.
In July 1919, the second Royal show was performed and was the first to be billed a ‘Royal Variety Performance’.
Held at London’s Coliseum, the show was staged as a ‘celebration of peace’ and, as the official announcement expressed, ‘had been commanded by The King to show his appreciation of the generous manner in which artistes of the variety stage had helped the numerous funds connected with the War’.