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The Royal Variety Show -

The Royal Variety Show is a yearly tradition created by the British royals in 1912. The fundraiser event involves a wide range of entertainers and musicians performing at prestigious London concert halls for a large audience, which includes members of the royal family.

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The Royal Variety Show -

The annual show has allowed for a wide range of musicians to appear before the Queen herself, although it’s unlikely she was a big fan of every act she’s seen...

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The Beatles -

Shortly before Beatlemania reached the US, the Beatles were invited to perform at the 1963 Royal Variety Show. The four young men from working class backgrounds with strong Liverpool accents were unusual attendees, but they seriously impressed the audience.

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The Beatles -

Queen Elizabeth wasn’t able to attend the show because she was pregnant with Prince Edward at the time. The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret represented the family that year, and the Queen Mother was an unexpected fan of the young Liverpudlian rockers: "It’s one of the best shows I’ve seen. The Beatles are most intriguing."

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Lady Gaga -

The highly provocative Lady Gaga performed at the Royal Variety Show in 2009, and even got to meet the Queen face to face.

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Sting and Shaggy - When you hear that Shaggy performed for the Queen of England, you might think it’s something out of a fever dream. When you hear that Sting and Shaggy’s reggae ensemble performed for the Queen, it’s a little more believable, but still bizarre!

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Sting and Shaggy -

The pair performed at the Queen’s 92nd birthday performance in 2018, held at the Royal Albert Hall. When Shaggy shouted "where my reggae people at?" to the crowd, he was reportedly met with silence.

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One Direction -

One Direction were invited to play at the Royal Variety on three occasions, during the height of their world domination! At the 2014 show, they got to meet several of the younger royals.

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Taylor Swift -

Taylor Swift was invited to perform at a charity benefit in Kensington Palace in 2013. The Winter White Gala was held to raise money for the homeless and included esteemed guests like Prince William. Swift even managed to get him on stage with her and Jon Bon Jovi!

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Elton John -

Sir Elton John is a British national treasure, and was even knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1998 for his charitable work. It’s no surprise that he’s a regular and a favorite of the royals! He first appeared at the Royal Variety Show in 1978, and went on to appear again in 2001, 2004, and 2015.

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Elton John -

In addition to the Royal Variety, he performed at Princess Diana’s funeral and the 10-year anniversary of her death in 2007. On both occasions, he sang a touching version of his song ‘Candle in the Wind.’ In 2012, he performed at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, marking her 60th year on the throne.

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George Michael -

George Michael was a friend of the late Princess Diana, and in 1993 they worked together to organize the Concert of Hope. Princess Diana attended and Michael performed. It was held on World AIDS Day and was intended to raise awareness of the disease. The cause was close to Diana’s heart.

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Ed Sheeran -

Ed Sheeran is another British star who has a close relationship with the royal family. He performed at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, the Royal Variety in 2014, and was granted an MBE by Charles in 2017. Becoming a Member of the Order of the British Empire is an honor given to certain citizens for their contribution to society. In Sheeran’s case, it was thanks to his music and charity work.

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Ellie Goulding -

Ellie Goulding is a favorite of the younger members of the British royal family. She was asked to sing the first song at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding in 2011. She sang the Elton John classic ‘Your Song.’ In 2014, she also performed at the Royal Variety Show.

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Coldplay -

Prince Harry famously hosted Coldplay at Kensington Palace in 2016. Photos of him on stage raising the roof with the band went viral.

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Josh Groban -

Musical maestro Josh Groban also performed at Princess Diana’s anniversary concert in 2007, as well as at the Royal Variety in 2004, 2008, and 2015.

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Liberace -

The incomparable Liberace was set to perform at the 1956 Royal Variety Show, but it was canceled four hours before curtains due to the Suez Canal crisis. He was reportedly so overcome that he began to cry on stage during the rehearsals. Luckily, he had the opportunity to come back and perform in 1959, 1960, and 1972.

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Sammy Davis Jr. -

Sammy Davis Jr. appeared at four Royal Variety shows and was a huge hit every time! He sang, he danced, he acted, and he even did impressions of his fellow celebrity entertainers. A review in the Daily Sketch newspaper said that he made the word "star" seem inadequate.

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Louis Armstrong - The legendary jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong was invited to perform at Buckingham Palace by King George V, who was a known fan of the genre.

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Louis Armstrong -

Armstrong broke protocol during a 1932 concert when he said “This one's for you, Rex,” referring to the King by an overly casual nickname! He was invited back to perform many more times, despite the faux pas.

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Julie Andrews -

Julie Andrews was a regular at the Royal Variety Show over the years. She performed for the royal family for the first time when she was just 13 years old, in 1948. She appeared in front of King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II, and the Queen Mother. Andrews was the youngest solo performer in the event’s history.

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Julie Andrews -

Andrews rose to fame for her roles in ‘Mary Poppins’ (1964) and ‘The Sound of Music’ (1965), and returned to perform for the British royals again in 1958 and 1977.

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Judy Garland -

A young Judy Garland appeared in the 1957 Royal Variety show to perform for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. She sang her iconic song ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ from ‘The Wizard of Oz' (1939).

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Liza Minnelli -

Garland’s daughter, Liza Minnelli, followed in her mother’s footsteps. The star of stage and screen was also invited to perform at the Royal Variety, and sang for Prince Charles in 2004.

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Eartha Kitt -

Eartha Kitt made her Royal Variety debut in 1958, and was invited back to perform again in 1962 and 1987. She expressed her disappointment that it was against protocol to sing directly to the Queen as she performed, but entertainers are requested not to address the royal box!

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Duran Duran -

Duran Duran were one of Princess Diana’s favorite bands and they appeared in the lineup for the 2007 Concert for Diana, in honor of the 10th anniversary of her death. Front man Simon LeBon told the media: "We are honored that she always referred to Duran Duran as her favorite band as she was certainly our favorite princess.”

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Skream -

Dubstep DJ Ollie "Skream" Jones performed at a charity event in Buckingham Palace in 2010. He met Prince Harry that night and can apparently count him as a fan!

Sources: (Insider) (Complex)

See also: Rules celebrities must follow when meeting the royals

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