The Prince and Princess of Wales attended the Royal Variety Performance in London last night (November 19), but they had to tell their three children a sneaky lie about their plans.

This year, the Royal Variety Performance was headlined by the cast of Paddington The Musical, and Kate Middleton revealed that Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis were “very sad” to miss that element of the show.

Speaking to a pair of nine-year-old twins at the event, Kate revealed she and William told George, Charlotte, and Louis that children aren't allowed at the Royal Variety Performance so that they wouldn't be too disappointed about missing Paddington. “My kiddies were very sad,” the royal revealed. “They were very sad not to be joining us.”

Kate went on, “We're going to have to keep it a big secret.”

the sneaky lie kate middleton told her children over "big secret" which left them "very sad"pinterest
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The Royal Variety Performance dates back to 1912 and is held annually in support of the Royal Variety Charity, which helps those working in the entertainment industry. It is typically attended by members of the Royal Family, and this year the Prince and Princess of Wales made their first appearance at the event since her recovery from cancer. In total, they have attended the annual charity event six times.

“This annual great British institution, viewed by a worldwide TV audience of over 150 million, continues to be a crucial fundraising event supporting people in all areas of performance, either on or off stage,” the show's executive producer said, adding that he was “thrilled” to see William and Kate in attendance again.