Prince Harry’s unexpected response to performer after she jokes about King Charles

When Sydnie Christmas came off-stage after performing in front of Prince Harry at a charity gala, she wasn’t quite expecting the reaction she got from the Duke of Sussex.

The Britain’s Got Talent 2024 winner belted out two hits that resonated with the royal but not before a bit of a joke about his dad, King Charles, during David Foster’s charity gala in Vancouver, over the weekend.

“When I was on stage, I joked about meeting his dad before adding, ‘Sorry he couldn’t make it. He sent me instead’,” Christmas, 31, told The Sun from Canada after the gig.

“Oh my god – I say such silly things when I’m nervous, but Harry started laughing.”

Christmas sang the Frank Sinatra classic My Way as well as Tomorrow from the musical Annie - both songs about overcoming adversity.

Prince Harry and Meghan were in the front row and the father-of-two got up to greet the singer as she came off the stage, telling her that he “felt every word in the back of his throat”.

She ditched royal protocol to hug the duke.

“He just went in for the hug and I was like, ‘Why not?’” Christmas said.

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Sharing a photo of their interaction on social media, the BGT winner called it “an absolute pinch-me moment”.

“Harry you are the most loveliest soul,” the singer added in the caption.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were in attendance to lend their support to the David Foster Foundation’s 40th anniversary event, after becoming good friends with the legendary music producer and his wife, Katherine McPhee.

McPhee was childhood friends with Meghan Markle before rekindling their friendship in 2019.

Foster went on to help the couple find a place to stay in Vancouver when they took a six-week break from public life later that year.

The two couples have remained close since.

The charity, which aids thousands of Canadian families a year in non-surgical expenses when children undergo organ transplants, raised $CA14.5 million ($14.7 million) across the two-night event.