The King appeared "charming and funny" as he attended this year's Royal Variety Performance alone after the Queen was forced to miss the event to recover from a chest infection. Charles attended the show at the Royal Albert Hall in London for the first time as patron of the Royal Variety charity, following in the footsteps of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. The monarch arrived alone on Friday evening after Camilla pulled out of the event at the last minute, having been advised by doctors to rest following her recent chest infection.
Show hosts Alan Carr and Amanda Holden expressed gratitude at Charles' attendance despite his wife's lingering illness, and enthusiasm at the news their comic numbers on stage made the monarch laugh. "His Majesty was amazingly charming - he said we definitely earned our pound that we got paid. We mentioned Her Majesty and wished her well," Holden said.
"He did so well to be here. He was really funny - I've always said out of everyone he's got the best sense of humour in the whole of the royal family." Carr, who met Charles for the first time after the event, said the King was "really sweet" as he apologised for the Queen's unexpected absence.
"We also got the goss that he was laughing at some of our bits so we're very happy" he said. "If you get a laugh, well - that's what you're here for." Performers included comedians Scott Bennett, Larry Dean, Ellie Taylor and political comic Matt Forde, whose impression of Donald Trump drew an amused .
