Awkward moment Prince William and Kate Middleton accidentally ignore Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden at the Royal Variety performance

This is the awkward moment the Prince and Princess of Wales appear to have accidentally ignored their royal guests as they arrived for the Royal Variety Performance.

The royal couple, both 41, were joined at the event in London earlier this month by Crown Prince Daniel and his wife Victoria.

The show – which aired last night on ITV – had a star-studded line-up, including appearances from Cher, Hannah Waddingham and Beverly Knight.

As they arrived at the Royal Albert Hall, the Prince and Princess of Wales stopped to chat with model Daphne Self, 95, and her fashion designer daughter Rose Coutts-Smith.

Video footage captured by royal correspondent Richard Palmer shows the royals happily chatting with the two women shortly after they arrived – while the future King and Queen of Sweden lingered behind them.

During the conversation, Rose tells the couple that Daphne is now 95 – to which William responds: 'Unbelievable. That's incredible. That is amazing.'

As William and Daphne discuss how she likes to stay mobile, the Princess of Wales is seen smiling at Rose, with her back to Crown Princess Victoria.

In the background, the Swedish royal family can be seen looking awkwardly around the room and smiling as they wait for William and Kate to continue.

Kate doesn't seem to be in a hurry and then says, 'Hello Daphne, nice to see you. I love your outfit!'

The princess then places a hand on Daphne's arm as they discuss her outfit: a white silk floral dress with red fluffy sleeves.

After being told that Rose had designed it especially for her mother, Kate replied: 'Ah, absolutely not! She looks fantastic.'

The Crown Prince and Princess of Sweden had to wait 90 seconds behind Kate and William before the couple walked up the stairs to find their seats in the royal box.

Afterwards, Daphne and Rose were seen talking to the Crown Prince and Princess of Sweden.

Pictured: The Prince and Princess of Wales arrive at London's Royal Albert Hall for the Royal Variety performance earlier this month

Crown Prince Daniel and Crown Princess Victoria left the Royal Variety Performance in London on December 1, 2023

The video footage caused an uproar among royal watchers – with some claiming that the Prince and Princess of Wales should have included their guests in the conversation or not kept them waiting so long.

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“Poor Victoria didn't even know what to do, let alone her husband.”

Another added: 'I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate this behavior if the roles were reversed.'

“I expected more from the two,” said a third.

However, others jumped to the couple's defense, saying the Prince and Princess of Wales were right to skip the queue ahead of their guests.

As they arrived at the Royal Albert Hall, the Prince and Princess of Wales stopped to chat with model Daphne Self, 95, and her fashion designer daughter Rose Coutts-Smith (pictured).

The royal couple spoke with Daphne and Rose for 90 seconds before heading upstairs to find their seats

“William and Catherine should go first and if you notice, Victoria and her husband should go next,” one supporter pointed out.

“Crown Princess of Sweden was waiting to talk to (Daphne and Rose),” said another. “You can see it clearly in the ending sequence where Kate and William walk upstairs after talking to the ladies.”

The Royal Variety Performance marked the first time the royal couple appeared together following the fallout from Omid Scobie's book.

Earlier this month, the Dutch version of his book Endgame was pulled from shelves in the Netherlands after it appeared to mention the two royals – something Scobie has attributed to a translation error.

The event was in aid of the Royal Variety Charity, which supports members of the entertainment industry with a national grant scheme, to help those who have worked professionally in the entertainment industry during this very difficult economic climate.