Shirley Ballas has shared insights into a clandestine visit by the Princess of Wales to the Strictly Come Dancing studios in December.
Toward the year’s end, it emerged that Princess Kate joined her two youngest children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, for an enjoyable visit to the set, where they indulged in taking turns in the glamorous judges’ seats.
In a recent interview with The Sun, head judge Shirley detailed the impeccable behavior of the royal children and the evident excitement displayed by young Louis, who celebrated his sixth birthday on Tuesday, when Princess Charlotte was presented with a mock crown.
“They are beautiful,” gushed Shirley. “When they visited we had these crowns on set, so I thought it would be a nice idea to give the little girl a crown and I got him a nice box of sweets.
“Then he went, ‘I want one of those,’ and pointed at the crown. So we had to go and find him a little crown.”
The TV star added: “They’re beautifully polite children. They had an absolute ball. We have photos, but I didn’t want to post them. I think it’s more private for her. I was just glad she was able to come in and have a great day. They all watch Strictly.”
Princess Kate, aged 42, along with her two children, also had the opportunity to meet the beloved hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, as well as some of the show’s professional dancers like Dianne Buswell and Nadiya Bychkova. The trio then enjoyed a tour of the costume department.
It’s widely known that prominent members of the royal family are enthusiastic followers of the popular BBC ballroom show. In 2019, Prince William disclosed that his wife Kate and his mother-in-law Carole Middleton are both huge fans.
Speaking to judge Shirley and host Claudia at a charity gala, the Prince of Wales explained: “I have watched the show [Strictly] a couple of times. Catherine is a huge fan and my mother-in-law loves it.”
During an exclusive chat in October 2019, host Tess Daly confessed: “Camilla is a fan, she has been to visit us in the studio before and she spent half a day with us and it was wonderful, she was absolutely part of the whole process during the dress rehearsals, at the judge’s desk, handling the panels and she really enjoyed her day.
“She’s such a lovely lady and she actually invited all of our crew to Buckingham Palace two years ago and we filmed part of our routine there for Christmas.”
The presenter added: “She is a patron of the Osteoporosis society, so she hosted it for members of the charity in the ballroom in Buckingham Palace. It was just wonderful and she was part of it and she had a dance with our pros and it was just such a wonderful day, so it’s a huge compliment that her and Charles are fans of the show.”
