William and Kate welcome Swedish royals to UK

Prince William and Kate have welcomed Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel to the UK overnight.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have carried out the royal duties while King Charles held engagements in Dubai ahead of COP28.

The two couples met in the morning at Windsor Castle before making their way to Royal Albert Hall in the evening (Friday morning AEDT) to watch the Royal Variety Performance together.

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The Prince and Princess of Wales held hands as they arrived at the venue, nearby Kensington Palace.

Kate dazzled in a floor-length dress with an encrusted neckline and cape-style sleeves, believed to be by London-label Safiyaa.

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The Princess of Wales added statement earrings, a chunky bracelet and a bejewelled clutch to round out her look.

While Crown Princess Victoria opted for a strapless black gown with a fluffy wrap to help keep warm on the 2°C evening.

With her hair pulled back in a chic up-to, the princess showed off a layer necklace look and statement earrings.

Prince William opted for a velvet tux with satin trim and Prince Daniel mixed things up with a navy and black combo tux.

Ahead of the show, held in aid of the Royal Variety Charity, the four royals greeted the performers, along with a number of representatives from the charity.

This year's headline performer for the pre-Christmas event is Cher, who has a new festive album out.

Zara Larsson, Paloma Faith and Lang Lang will also take to the stage on the night of theatre, comedy and music to be hosted by British TV presenter Bradley Walsh.

There'll also be a performance that might make the royal children jealous, with an exclusive 100th anniversary celebration from Disney Theatrical.

The outing comes following the publication of a new royal book this week, Endgame.

The Dutch version reportedly revealed the names of two people who allegedly made comments about the colour of Prince Archie's skin before he was born.

The UK libel laws didn't allow the publication of those names in the English language version, so how they ended up in the Dutch version is being investigated by publishers.

But if the royal family were fazed by the 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview allegations being brought to the headlines again, they weren't showing it.

Prince William and Kate also smiled and posed for photos after holding an audience at Windsor Castle with Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel.

The heir of the Swedish royal family is in town on an official visit to the UK at the request of the Swedish government.

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel took part in a number of engagements on Wednesday, including pouring pints at a British pub.

They also met with Ukraine troops being trained on British soil by Swedish soldiers and Victoria gave a speech about the Sweden-UK relationship at a formal dinner.