Heartbreaking reason Kate broke royal protocol for this moment with singer Jessie J

Catherine, Princess of Wales had a moment at the Royal Variety Performance in London where she purposefully broke royal protocol.

While it's more traditional to shake hands with performers while greeting them all after a show like that, Kate accepted a hug from Jessie J, with the pair both bonded over their respective cancer battles.

The singer, 37, later spoke about the touching moment with the royal.

"Mum to mum, who has just recently gone through cancer, I just wanted to give her a hug," she said, according to The Independent.

"We acknowledged that it's something that is not easy to go through, especially in the public eye."

The outing marked the Princess of Wales' first red carpet in two years after reducing her workload amid her health battle.

The 43-year-old donned a green velvet Talbot Runhof dress for the pre-Christmas event, while Prince William opted for a velvet tuxedo.

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Jessie J dressed in a slightly less formal black ensemble - a tracksuit - but said it was on purpose as her performance, the song I'll Never Know Why, was inspired by a friend who took their own life and the outfit replicates when you're feeling low and spending a lot of time on the sofa.

Jessie J went public with her breast cancer diagnosis in June, two months after she received the news.

She was forced to cancel tour dates to undergo a mastectomy and suffered some complications post-op that will require further surgery in the coming months.

Meanwhile, Kate said earlier this year that she's in remission from the undisclosed cancer she was diagnosed with, after undergoing preventative chemotherapy.

Kate's cancer was discovered in January 2024 after she underwent a pre-planned abdominal surgery at The London Clinic.

It was the same place her father-in-law King Charles also underwent surgery last January for a standard prostate removal and also had an undisclosed cancer discovered.

The dual cancer diagnosis among the senior royals rocked the family and put a strain on Prince William in particular, who labelled 2024 as the "hardest year" of his life.

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