Princess of Wales and Jessie J discuss cancer in the public eye - Inside the Palace

PRINCESS OF WALES AND JESSIE J DISCUSS CANCER IN THE "PUBLIC EYE"

On Wednesday evening, the Prince and Princess of Wales represented the Royal Family at the star-studded Royal Variety Performance.

At the Royal Albert Hall, the future King and Queen shook hands with Paddington Bear before watching the performance of Paddington The Musical on the stage.

Paddington has long been affiliated with the Royal Family; the late Queen had afternoon tea with him for a pre-recorded sketch during her Platinum Jubilee Concert in 2022.

The Princess of Wales, when she was the Duchess of Cambridge, was pictured dancing with Paddington Bear in London during a children's charity event in 2017.

The Princess revealed her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, were "very sad" not to have been allowed to attend the Royal Variety performance.

It was a school night, so it was thought the late-night engagement would have been too tiring for them.

In a poignant moment, the Princess of Wales shared a hug with singer Jessie J, who has faced her own cancer battle.

Jessie J underwent a mastectomy in June for breast cancer, and is due to have a second operation, which means she has to postpone her autumn tour.

The Princess of Wales announced she was in remission from cancer back in January.

The Price Tag singer said: "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."

KING SURPRISES SHOPPERS AT LANDMARK LONDON STORE

The King made a surprise visit to London's Fortnum & Mason store on Wednesday to celebrate the second anniversary of his project to stop struggling British citizens from going hungry.

In its first two years, His Majesty's Coronation Food Project has saved almost 5,000 tonnes of food, which otherwise would have gone to waste, which is the equivalent of 11 million meals.

It's an incredibly ambitious task, and it's thought King Charles thinks there's still "more to do".

His Majesty joined the charities, businesses and supporters behind the Coronation Food Project to hear about the scheme's progress.

It has opened a number of Coronation Food Hubs across the country, including in Liverpool, Birmingham and south London.

It is looking to expand in the months and years ahead.

Baroness Casey, perhaps better known for publishing a report into Britain's Grooming Gangs scandal, was tasked by the King to help set up his project.

She told us: "His Majesty called me a few years ago and said, 'What on earth can we do both about families going hungry and food waste?' And it started, actually, really humbly with some freezers.

"We just went out and we bought some freezers and we bought some fridges.

"A year later, we launched the Coronation Food Project.

"Two years later, 11 million meals...None of it would have happened without His Majesty."

Afterwards, King Charles spent time greeting starstruck shoppers on Fortnum & Mason's ground floor, many of whom snapped photos of the monarch on their smartphones.

Outside, His Majesty spent time greeting the public who had waited for him to depart; many had spotted the well-polished State Bentley Limousine standing guard, with the Royal Standard flag fixed upon its roof.

PRINCESS OF WALES URGES UK BUSINESSES TO ACT

How many politicians, from any party, can persuade powerful business leaders to assemble to discuss investment in the early years?

Well, that is exactly what the Princess of Wales achieved earlier this week - in her first major speech since her cancer journey.

She urged senior executives to prioritise "time and tenderness just as much as productivity and success" adding that "profitability" and making a "positive impact" are not "incompatible".

The summit, held in the City of London on Tuesday, was hosted by her Royal Foundation.

The future Queen's Business Taskforce for Early Childhood aims to drive businesses to create a culture that supports employee parents with resources and "flexibility in the workplace", to prioritise the development of young children.

In time, research commissioned by the Princess and her team estimates Britain could benefit from £45.5billion through business investment in early childhood.

It's a colossal task for the Princess of Wales to change the mindset and culture of Britain's top bosses, but she seems determined to achieve her goals.

Listening to her interactions, as she mingled with business leaders, the Princess is clearly across the details of the research.

For years, she has been championing the idea that the first five years of a child's life are critical formative years.

If a child has a poor start in life, research suggests the chances of addiction, mental health problems, criminality and destitution in adulthood are far greater.

In Her Royal Highness's speech, Catherine told guests it was her "life's work" to promote the early years.

She continued: "A loving home ultimately teaches us how to love and how to care, but every environment has the potential to shape our hearts.

"Every one of you interacts with your own environment: a home, a family, a business, a workforce, a community. These are the ecosystems that you yourselves help to weave.

"Imagine a world where each of these environments were built on valuing time and tenderness just as much as productivity and success.

"As business leaders, you will face the daily challenge of finding the balance between profitability and having a positive impact. But the two are not and should not be incompatible."

A royal source told GB News: "[The Princess] feels passionately about the work the Business Taskforce is doing to place early childhood at the heart of the business community.

"She stayed on this afternoon to hear more about how current taskforce members are inspiring some of the biggest businesses in the UK to make change too."