Prince Harry hailed as king of banter at Royal Variety Performance

Updated

Prince Harry has been hailed the king of banter at the Royal Variety Performance.

He was at the star-studded show for the first time and watched performances by One Direction, Kylie Minogue and Ricky Martin.

Kicking off the show, host Jack 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."

When he arrived, wearing a tuxedo and sporting a beard, Harry told ITV executives: "Jack Whitehall makes me nervous."

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."

Whitehall praised Harry for his work in the Army but joked that he deserved extra praise due to being a ginger man in the heat of Afghanistan.

He also quipped that in honour of Harry they would turn the Royal Albert Hall 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?"

He told the audience he did not think there is a "single person in this country" who would not want to see Harry in charge for a week.

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

The event has also seen performances from Josh Groban, Cirque du Soleil, Kacey Musgraves, Electric Light Orchestra and Little Mix.

Pop princess Kylie Minogue, wearing a dress of white feathers, got into the festive spirit with a rendition of It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.

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