The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge pantomime George, Charlotte and Louis in the West End

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge gave their kids an early Christmas treat today with a pantomime break in London’s West End.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis had a ball together on their first official royal red carpet this afternoon.

The youngsters were taken by William and Kate to a special pantomime performance at the London Palladium, hosted by The National Lottery. This was held to thank key workers and their families for their phenomenal efforts this year.

The Duchess of Cambridge with Prince Louis on her lap, while Princess Charlotte rests her mother’s head before the performance

Princess Charlotte whispers to Prince Louis in the Royal Box while they wait for the performance of ‘Pantoland’ with Julian Clary and Elaine Page

They caught their parents’ hands and went to the theater, fascinated by the sight of an elf juggling snowballs.

Little Louis, two, elegantly dressed in a blue cardigan, was elegant with his mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, in an Alessandra Rich dress, while his seven-year-old brother, George, who looked more adult than ever in a striped sweater, held the Duke in place .

Five-year-old Feisty Charlotte happily walked alone, kicking her legs in a gray and black tartan dress, and shaking off her father’s leading arm.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their children Prince George (right), Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis (left) ahead of a special pantomime at the London Palladium hosted by The National Lottery on Friday

Little Louis, two, elegantly dressed in a blue cardigan, was elegant with his mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, in an Alessandra Rich dress, while Charlotte wore a gray and black tartan dress

Inside, they had their first experiences with a royal box and chatted excitedly as they waited for the performance of ‘Pantoland’ to begin with Julian Clary and Elaine Page.

38-year-old William went down the stairs and gave a speech on stage before the show began. Louis sat on his mother’s lap.

The second to the throne thanked Britain’s most important workers and lovingly marked the death of Dame Barbara Windsor, a fitting tribute to her frequent appearances as a mime star.

He said, “Before I proceed, I would like to pause and pay tribute to a true national treasure, Lady Barbara Windsor, who passed away so sadly last night.

“She was an entertainment giant and, of course, a legend on pantomime stages across the country, including here at the London Palladium. And I know we will all miss them very much. ‘

He told the audience, who sat in family groups with social distance between them, “It’s wonderful to be back here in the West End and to see theaters reopen their doors … Catherine, George, Charlotte, Louis and I are delighted we all really care about the show.

‘We’re here tonight to do a very special job. Special, because of you – the key workers here in the audience.

“This includes community workers, volunteers, teachers, NHS workers, emergency services and the military, researchers working on the vaccine, people helping the homeless, people who staff key call centers, and frontline workers from a variety of charities – just to name a few but a few.

“You have done your best all year and made remarkable sacrifices.

“Also your families, who I am sure they have seen far less of you than they would like. It’s nice that you are all here tonight.

The youngsters were taken by William and Kate to a special pantomime performance at the London Palladium hosted by The National Lottery. This was held to thank key workers and their families for their phenomenal efforts this year

Little Louis, two, elegantly dressed in a blue cardigan, was elegant with his mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, in an Alessandra Rich dress, while his seven-year-old brother, George, who looked more adult than ever in a striped sweater, held the Duke in place .

They grabbed their parents’ hands and went to the theater, fascinated by the sight of an elf juggling snowballs.

The kids clearly loved the pantomine

When the Duke returned to the box, the seats shuffled quickly as William sat between his eldest son and daughter and Charlotte made an amusing gesture before they all settled down for the show.

For much of William’s speech, Louis focused on a large ball of glitter hanging from the ceiling above the main auditorium, pointing up, and talking to Kate, 38.

They caught their parents’ hands and went to the theater, fascinated by the sight of an elf juggling snowballs

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (left picture). Dubbed the celebration of pantomime, Pantoland features a host of celebrities including singer Beverley Knight, dancer Ashley Banjo and Diversity, comedian and ventriloquist Paul Zerdin, actor Nigel Havers, singer Gary Wilmot, actor Charlie Stemp and Joseph star Jac Yarrow

“You are representative of the great number of people across the UK who have made a difference in so many crucial ways this year. The country owes you a great deal of thanks.

“I hope you all have a good time tonight. It is the least we can do to thank you for all that you do day in and day out to protect our country and to take care of those who need help most.

“From all of us – we wish you all a Merry Christmas!”

The Duke of Cambridge delivered a speech on stage thanking the main workers in Britain and lovingly marking the death of Dame Barbara Windsor, a fitting tribute to her frequent appearance as a mime star

For much of William’s speech, Louis focused on a large ball of glitter hanging from the ceiling above the main auditorium, pointing up, and talking to Kate, 38.

When the Duke returned to the box, the seats shuffled quickly as William sat between his eldest son and daughter and Charlotte made an amusing gesture before they all settled down for the show.

Dubbed the celebration of pantomime, Pantoland features a host of celebrities including singer Beverley Knight, dancer Ashley Banjo and Diversity, comedian and ventriloquist Paul Zerdin, actor Nigel Havers, singer Gary Wilmot, actor Charlie Stemp and Joseph star Jac Yarrow .

William (left) told the audience, who sat in family groups with social distance between them, “It’s wonderful to be back in the West End and see theaters reopen their doors … Catherine, George, Charlotte, Louis and i am all really looking forward to the show. Louis (right) sat on his mother’s lap during the speech, concentrating on a large glitter ball that hung from the ceiling above the main part of the auditorium

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis hold the hands of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as they walk the red carpet

The family outing comes after the Duke and Duchess took a little Christmas tour on the royal train tour to pay tribute to the incredible work of individuals and organizations who went out of their way to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

= The trip was also intended to showcase the UK arts, heritage and live performance sector, which was devastated by the pandemic but was consistently supported by the government’s £ 1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

The National Lottery is currently sponsoring mimes in 10 theaters across the country, helping them safely open their doors to the public by paying for the empty seats required for social distancing.

The Duke of Cambridge speaks with Prince George and Princess Charlotte in the Royal Box before the performance

The Duke of Cambridge waited at the edge of the stage before giving his speech in which he said: “We are here tonight for a very special performance. Special, because of you – the key workers here in the audience ‘

The audience included key workers from across the capital, including NHS staff, delivery drivers, garbage collectors, rescue workers, charities and volunteers.

Nigel Railton, General Manager of National Lottery Operator Camelot, said: “We wanted to do something before Christmas to thank the most important people who have played such an important role in this pandemic.

‘We’re thrilled to have this special one-off performance by Pantoland with The London Palladium and Qdos Entertainment, hopefully to lift the mood and to thank some of the key contributors who protect us and make our public Services work and continue to support the vulnerable. Her work has never been so critical in these extraordinary times. ‘

The National Lottery is currently sponsoring mimes in 10 theaters across the country and helping them open their doors safely to the public by paying for the empty seats required for social distancing. Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge congratulate the cast of the production

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden was in the audience and during the break in the foyer, the royal couple in face masks had a quick chat with him about their Royal Train tour earlier this week, which featured acts funded by the Culture Recovery Fund at each stop.

“Thanks for all the help on the train ride,” said William.

He and Kate also spoke to families who are working to help communities during the pandemic.

William said in his speech: “Before I go any further, I would like to pause and pay tribute to a true national treasure, Lady Barbara Windsor, who passed away so sadly last night. Pictured: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Dame Barbara Windsor in 2013

Dom Warren, 35, and his wife Alex, 33, of Hastings, East Sussex founded Dom’s Food Mission five years ago to use excess food to feed families in difficulty. With the Covid-19 pandemic, demand has risen dramatically and they are currently providing families with 8,000 grocery packages per month.

The couple, helped by daughter Lexie, 11, and son Roman, 7, who both collect surplus food for charity, work seven days a week. All four spoke to the royal couple.

William and Kate thanked them for their hard work, but William told Dom to take it easy. ‘Take care of oneself. You have to take care of yourself in the long term, because then you can take care of other people, ”said the future king.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge speak to Dom Warren, founder of Doms Food Mission and his family during the performance

After their conversation, Lexie and Roman said they enjoyed the show. “It’s very cool,” said Lexie.

Roman added, “It’s funny.”

When asked what the Cambridges thought of the show so far, Dom said, “They said they thought it was amazing.”

He added that they had not discussed what George, Charlotte and Louis thought about it.

Introducing William on stage, Matt Ridsdale, Executive Director of National Lottery Operator Camelot, couldn’t resist using one of the oldest panto lines.

“Since this is panto, I am very aware of who is behind me,” he said.

A true East End legend: How 4ft 10in Barbara Windsor towered over British show business for more than 60 years

83-year-old Cockney heroine Dame Barbara Windsor died Thursday night in a nursing home after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s six years ago.

She was born Barbara Ann Deeks on August 6, 1937 in Shoreditch, east London, to John, a cart boy, and her tailor mother Rose.

With her irresistible giggling laugh and signature crop of light blonde hair, she became one of the nation’s stars as the buxom blonde in the carry-on films.

After successfully bridging the generation gap, she was later revered for her role as Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders, as was Queen Victoria’s landlady, who often yelled at villainous drinkers, “Get out of my pub.”

She appeared in nine of the 31 Carry On films, but was mostly associated with Carry On Camping and the memorable and high risk scene of her bikini top popping off during an exercise routine.

British actress Barbara Windsor poses with her insignia as she poses for a picture with her husband Scott Mitchell after she was named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in March 2016

One of Dame Barbara’s most famous scenes was the 1969 Carry On Camping, when her bikini top flew off in the middle of an exercise class (left). Right: Dame Barbara in Aladdin at the age of 20

Dame Barbara played Peggy Mitchell (pictured) on the EastEnders soap from 1994 until her final departure in 2016

With her blonde hair and infectious giggles, the 4ft 10ins star immediately became popular with audiences before making her final appearance in Carry On Dick in 1974.

She later said she was typed after she appeared in the films.

In May 2018, Barbara’s husband Scott Mitchell revealed in an interview that Dame Barbara had lived with Alzheimer’s disease after being diagnosed in April 2014.

In August 2020, Mr Mitchell announced that Dame Barbara had been moved to a nursing home while struggling with progressive dementia.

A broken Mr Mitchell said the former EastEnders star left the couple’s home in mid-July.