The Royal Variety Performance usually brings a bit of sparkle to a chilly November night, but this year, something far more moving stole the spotlight. The Princess of Wales and Jessie J found themselves sharing a quiet but deeply emotional moment backstage at the Royal Albert Hall, as the two women connected over something far heavier than show business.
The event took place on Wednesday, 19 November, and was packed with the usual star turns, but the atmosphere shifted when Kate and Jessie met during the royal walkabout. Jessie had just finished performing her song I’ll Never Know Why, written for a friend she lost to suicide.
Dressed in all black, with her long dark hair flowing, she looked both striking and solemn. Kate arrived looking elegant as ever in a green velvet gown, her first appearance at a show like this since beginning her own cancer journey, per The Independent.
Their chat started like any standard greeting between a royal and a performer, but by the end of it, the mood had changed. Witnesses said the pair suddenly shared a hug, the kind that doesn’t need any explanation.
Jessie later spoke about that moment, saying, “Mum to mum, who has just recently gone through cancer, I just wanted to give her a hug. We acknowledged that it’s something that is not easy to go through, especially in the public eye.” Coming from someone who knows that road herself, it felt honest and raw.
Jessie was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year and had a mastectomy in June. She also had to postpone her autumn tour so she could undergo a second operation. She has never shied away from talking openly about what she’s been facing, and seeing her back on stage after such a tough year seemed to hit many in the audience.
Kate’s own diagnosis was made public in March 2024, when she revealed she was undergoing chemotherapy. She has kept the details private, but in January she shared the news that her cancer was in remission and wrote, “It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focused on recovery.” Her slow and careful return to royal duties has drawn a lot of attention and a lot of support, so her appearance at the show carried more weight than usual.
After the performance, Jessie also spent a few moments chatting with Prince William. Mental health came up between them and he encouraged her to get involved with some of the charity work he’s been doing in that space. Through the Royal Foundation, William and Kate have been leading the long-running Heads Together programme, urging people to speak more openly about mental health struggles.
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It’s a subject close to Jessie’s heart as well. Last year, she revealed she had been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The NHS describes OCD as a condition marked by intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviours, something Jessie said she had been quietly navigating for years.
She admitted that learning to understand her diagnosis had been liberating, writing online, “I’m hugging 11-year-old me. Who would clean her trainers with a toothbrush when she was stressed, and to this day has lived with a 1000 lists to not feel like life will crumble. Here’s to getting to know yourself even more through life. And loving yourself all the way.”
What was meant to be a night of entertainment ended up becoming a reminder that even in a room full of lights and applause, people carry their own battles. For Kate and Jessie, that brief hug spoke louder than anything happening on stage.
