Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend concert to honour Royal Marines

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex received a standing ovation at the Royal Albert Hall as they attended one of their final public engagements before they step back as senior royals.

The couple were treated to a sustained round of applause ahead of the national anthem, as they took their seats in the royal box at the London venue on Saturday evening.

They had been greeted warmly by members of the Royal Marines when they arrived at the South Kensington venue for the annual Mountbatten Festival of Music.

Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Mountbatten Festival of Music
Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Mountbatten Festival of Music

The couple wore matching red outfits for the fundraiser concert, with the duke in a Royal Marine mess dress uniform, and the duchess in a Safiyaa dress and cape, accessorised with earrings from Simone Rocha.

They were attending the event in Harry’s role as Captain General of the Royal Marines, and got the opportunity to meet the performers at the interval.

Backstage, a long corridor was lined on either side with uniformed band members, who at one point were joined by dancers in tall, red, showgirl style feathers.

The royal couple laughed and joked with the gathered crowd, before heading on to the stage to meet more attendees and musicians.

Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Mountbatten Festival of Music
Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Mountbatten Festival of Music

They walked off stage hand in hand, and went to take their seats for the second part of the show.

During the performance, the audience were led in a singalong of hits sung by Sir Tom Jones including Delilah and It’s Not Unusual.

The concert, compered by broadcaster John Suchet, also featured Judy Garland classic Over the Rainbow, and the Gladiator film theme.

Warrant Officer, Reg Sheen, the festival manager, said it was “absolutely fantastic” to see the Sussexes and that he was “delighted” that Harry was the force’s Captain General.

Mr Sheen, who was a member of the greeting party when the couple arrived on Saturday evening, added: “The reaction they got from the audience when they arrived was very emotional for the Royal Marines.”

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