It’s a Glamorous Gown by Talbot Runhof for Royal Variety Performance UPDATED

The Princess was the picture of glamor this evening in a Talbot Runhof velvet gown at the Royal Variety Performance.

This is the sixth time the couple has attended the performance. Senior royals rotate attendance at the event; last year, King Charles attended. Here you see him with Giles Cooper, OBE, chair of the Royal Variety Charity.

In 2023, the Prince and Princess of Wales were joined by Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden.

Here you see the Princess as Colonel Jane Davis, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London, greets her.

This image of the couple as they arrived shows the back of the dress.  

The Royal Variety Charity owns and manages its own residential and nursing care home for elderly entertainers, Brinsworth House in Twickenham, and also offers a nationwide grant scheme to assist those living in their own homes wherever they reside in the UK.

Set within over three acres of land, Brinsworth House is a beautiful mansion on the outskirts of Twickenham and for over one hundred years has become the home of many retired artists and those of who have spent their lives serving the entertainment industry.Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins sang the national anthem. 

Here you see the Princess being welcomed with a posy of flowers by nine-year-old twins, Emelie and Olivia Edwards, who have a family member working at Brinsworth House. 

This Telegraph piece by Victoria Ward offers details. 

Bending down to chat to them, she asked: “Are you two fans of Paddington?” Bringing her finger to her lips, she added: “My kiddies will be very sad [to have missed the show] – we are going to have to keep it a big secret. They were very sad not to be joining us.”

The Prince and Princess in the Royal Box at the Royal Albert Hall.

And their view. 

Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins performed the national anthem. 

Embed from Getty Images
The Telegraph story reports, “They watched the cast of Paddington The Musical take to the stage, along with pop star Jessie J and Grammy award-winning singer Laufey.”

After the show, the royals met the performers.

The Princess with Katherine Jenkins.

And a hug for Stephen Fry. Speaking with Jessie J. 
Embed from Getty Images
More from The Daily Mail. 

Backstage, Jessie J and Princess Kate shared a poignant moment, hugging as they spoke of their recent cancer scares as the songstress remarked to the royal: ‘I just want to give you a hug, cancer really puts life into perspective.’ The Domino singer has been open about her recent experience of undergoing a mastectomy, while also praising the Duchess of Cambridge for sharing her own cancer journey with the public. 

Princess Kate told the 37-year-old how her performance of her new song, I’ll Never Know Why, which she wrote for her late bodyguard, Dave, who died by suicide in 2021, was ‘moving’.

Jessie J responded: ‘It is such an important conversation. I just miss him and I want to help others.’ She also spoke of the importance of supporting men’s mental health and encouraging them to discuss their feelings.

Another image of the Princess and Jessie J. 
Embed from Getty Images
The couple also met Paddington. Paddington the Musical opened at the Savoy Theatre earlier this month.

We return to The Telegraph’s coverage. 

Prince William asked the bear if he could shake his hand before admiring his marmalade sandwich, which he said looked “yummy”

“The way you were singing was totally incredible, fantastic,” he said. “Was it very hot in there as well?”

And a posed photo with the famous bear. 

Some readers may recall the Princess dancing with a life-size Paddington back in 2017. 

The Prince and Princess met the cast of Paddington 2, the film, at Paddington Station on that occasion. 

And who can forget the famous video with the late Queen in honor of her Platinum Jubilee? 

Here is a video released by Kensington Palace after the performance. 

A magical night at the Royal Variety Performance! ✨

Grateful to all the incredible talent on stage and the dedicated teams behind the scenes for creating such a brilliant evening. A powerful reminder of why supporting the arts matters is so important! pic.twitter.com/KNYlVAoqpy

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) November 19, 2025

Now, for our look at what Kate wore, beginning with her Talbot Runhof gown. 

The style appears to go back several years, and I believe it was called the Bobonne Off-the-Shoulder Gown when it was initially released, done in emerald green stretch velvet, with ruched and gathered details designed to hug the figure. The mermaid silhouette flares out at the knee into a short train. (I added some repliKate possibilities here.) 

The Munich-based brand was founded by Nashville-born Johnny Talbot and German-born Adrian Runhof in 2000. The two met while Mr. Talbot was working for Radio Free Europe in Germany. The label shows at Paris Fashion Week, and is carried by most luxury stores, including Harvey Nichols and Harrods in London, as well as the brand’s own stores. It’s possible the Princess was considering the brand before Germany’s state visit to the UK in early December, or it could be a piece she’s had since its release. 

UPDATE NOV 20: Talbot Runhof is bringing back the gown. The Bobonne 2 Evening Gown ($2850) is now available for preorder at Talbot Runhof. The site doesn’t yet have details on the fabric composition, but I’m sure they’ll update that shortly. Thank you to Middleton Maven for the heads-up on this!

The Princess brought out serious jewels this evening, including Queen Mary’s Diamond Choker Bracelet, made by Cartier. You see the Queen wearing the choker in a postcard photo from the late 1930s, shown on the left.

We learn more about it from Her Majesty’s Jewel Vault: 

This necklace, featuring a series of diamond bars or links, was one of several diamond chokers in Queen Mary’s collection. It is included in The Queen’s Diamonds book where it is labeled as Queen Mary’s Chain-Link Bracelets, so there’s a bit of confusion between these two similar jewels. Also like the Chain-Link Bracelets, this choker later appears to have been used as a bracelet. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother wore it in her charming 75th birthday portraits by Norman Parkinson (which are among my favorite royal portraits).

The Princess also wore the Greville Chandelier Diamond Earrings this evening. 

The earrings were part of the Greville Bequest, a collection of jewelry left to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1942 by Dame Margaret Greville. The earrings were a wedding present for the then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and are said to be a favorite of the late Queen. In this photo, you see her wearing them in Canada during a July 2010 tour.

The Princess carried her Jenny Packham Casa Clutch (no longer available).

And brought back her Manolo Blahnik BB Dark Green Velvet Pumps (available only on secondary market sites), a pointed-toe style with a 4″ stiletto heel. 

Here is one more photo from this evening’s engagement, showing the Princess as she left the Royal Albert Hall.