The Princess of Wales gave a stunning – and surprising – show of support for Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest, after organisers controversially banned Volodymyr Zelensky from addressing the event.
Kate astonished an estimated worldwide audience of 160 million by playing the piano alongside last year’s Ukrainian winners, the Kalush Orchestra, in a powerful opening film.
It came after organisers at the European Broadcasting Union had refused to allow President Zelensky to make a video address on the grounds it would breach its longstanding ban on political statements.
But Kate’s extraordinary appearance offered a remarkably powerful but subtle statement in support of the embattled nation.
The Princess’s performance, recorded in the Crimson Drawing Room at Windsor Castle earlier this month, had been a closely-guarded palace secret.
Dressed in a stunning blue Jenny Packham gown – chosen to match one colour of the Ukraine flag – Kate was seen playing a grand piano in a shot lasting just ten seconds.
She also wore a pair of the late Queen’s earrings, in memory of Her late Majesty who publicly supported Ukraine before her death in September by requesting yellow and blue flowers be placed in Windsor Castle.
Viewers expressed their delight at the Princess’s surprise appearance on social media.
One tweeted: “Absolutely gorgeous!!! She never stops surprising us.” Another said: “That was *amazing* – I was like… is that who I think it is!?” One viewer in Brazil added: “This woman is everything!”
The Princess’s tribute – screened to the live audience at the Liverpool Arena as well as TV viewers – came after she met with Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s First Lady, during a diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace on the eve of the Coronation last weekend.
Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra won last year’s Eurovision song contest, with the UK’s Sam Ryder taking second place.
Their win would normally have meant Ukraine would host this year’s contest, but it was switched to the UK because of the Russian invasion.
To open the event the orchestra played their winning song, Stefania on stage, alongside a film showing them performing in the heart of Kyiv at the Maidan Nezalezhnosti metro station, which has been used as a bomb shelter during the war.
The film also featured other British collaborators, including Lord Lloyd-Webber, Sam Ryder, rapper Ms Banks, Ballet Black, Bolt Strings and Joss Stone.
Kate has a strong musical pedigree.
She achieved Grade 5 in both singing and music theory and also played the flute in her school chamber orchestra, as well as in a group called the Tootie-Flooties with her younger sister, Pippa.
Saturday night was not the first public piano recital for the Princess, as she performed with singer-songwriter Tom Walker at a Christmas concert in 2021.
Then, a palace source said that playing the piano had helped Kate through lockdown – and she has continued to practise since.
Kate has previously revealed that her passion for the piano is shared by Princess Charlotte who has been taking lessons, while Prince George is learning the electric guitar.
The run-up to last night’s event – the first to be staged in the UK since 1998 – was dominated with a diplomatic row over whether President Zelensky should have been allowed to address the audience via video.
The Ukrainian government believed a video message would be appropriate given the event was being hosted on behalf of Ukraine.
But the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) stood firm and ruled that any such message would breach its ban on anyone using the event for political reasons.
Rishi Sunak was among those who waded into the controversy, saying he was disappointed at the decision.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman believed an exemption should have applied because Ukraine is fighting for “fundamental” values and freedoms.
Oleksander Tkachenko, Ukraine’s Minister of Culture and Information Policy, told The Mail on Sunday he had tried to persuade the EBU to back the plan.
But Martin Green, managing director of the Eurovision Song Contest, hinted at the compromise which lay ahead when he appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Today program
He said the contest was capable of making its own statement, saying: “You don’t always need a politician saying something in order to say something.”
His team had pulled out all the stops to ensure the event was a showcase for Ukraine as much as it was for the UK and Liverpool.
The contest was set to smash its predicted AUD$467 million economic boost for Britain as hundreds of thousands of fans filled Liverpool.
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