Prince Harry jokes around with Harry Styles at Royal Variety Performance

Prince Harry turned joker at the Royal Variety Performance and asked Harry Styles when he plans on cutting his hair.

The prince - hailed as the king of banter by the show's host Jack Whitehall - was at the event for the first time and watched acts including pop princess Kylie Minogue and Sir Elton John.

Harry met One Direction on the stage at the end and asked his namesake and fellow heartthrob Styles: "When was the last time you had a haircut?"

The band were nervous before they met the prince, and were asking others what they should call him.

Afterwards, Styles, who was wearing his long hair loose, was asked if Harry's question about his hair would make him think about cutting it, but he laughed and told reporters: "I'm not planning on it right now."

He added: "At some point I'll be cutting it for charity." The boy band star also said he would not consider a beard like Harry's.

Talking about the night, Styles said: "I did have fun."

Prince Harry greeted Minogue with kisses on both cheeks and referring to her performance, he said: "I loved it."

When he arrived at the Royal Albert Hall, wearing a tuxedo, Harry said: "Jack Whitehall makes me nervous."

Kicking off the show, Whitehall said Harry is one of his heroes, adding: "He may only be a prince but when it comes to banter, all hail the king."

Whitehall joked that Harry is the kind of man who, if his friend passed out drunk, he would say: "Stand back, I've got this. You get a Sharpie. You take out a camera phone. You hand me that razor. Those eyebrows are coming with me."

He also quipped that in honour of Harry they would turn the venue into a nightclub after the show.

At one point Whitehall looked up at the Royal Box and said: "It was a tequila you ordered wasn't it your Royal Highness?"

Whitehall, who went to the same school as Harry's sister-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge, is the youngest presenter of the show.

In the past, Whitehall has used his links to Kate and Marlborough College in his performances, telling of his mother's disappointment that he failed to marry the former Miss Middleton.

Having greeted Harry after the show, Whitehall said: "He said that's the first and last time he's going to laugh at me. I went in for the handshake and he pulled the other way."

During the show, Whitehall told the crowd: "His Royal Highness has quite a few fans back there.

"I don't want to to mention any names ... ahem Kylie Minogue ... ahem ... Ricky Martin."

He added that he noticed Harry was "flying solo", and said: "If you were this evening single and looking to mingle, I would like to offer up my services as the royal wingman."

Whitehall said he would put in a good word with any act Harry liked the look of. "You could do a live Tinder from the box," he said.

During the show, comedian Jimmy Tarbuck paid tribute to his "dear friend" Cilla Black who died this year.

He said she was one of "our greatest chart-topping singers" and described her as "Liverpool's Cinderella".

Tarbuck also said he is sure everyone would like to thank Harry for the "courage, grit and determination" he has shown. He then joked: "And that's just sat here for three hours."

The show also featured performances from The Corrs, Josh Groban, Cirque du Soleil, Kacey Musgraves, Electric Light Orchestra and Little Mix.

The show will be broadcast on ITV in December.