Beaming Princess Kate hugs fan and Charles looks dignified at church before pair meet for first time since ‘race’ storm
PRINCESS Kate and Prince Charles proved it's business as usual as they stepped out today.
The royals were all smiles amid the current Scobie storm, as they arrived at their respective events.
An early Dutch version of Omid Scobie's hatchet-job book Endgame suggested Kate and Charles were the two Royals who made remarks about the skin colour of Harry and Meghan's first child, Archie.
The poisonous claims have been pilloried by Royal experts - and in the fall out Scobie has been blasted for peddling "bulls**t" excuses about how the names were included in the Dutch translation.
But Kate and Charles carried on as normal today - with the Princess of Wales cutting a ribbon at the opening of a new unit at Evelina London's Children's Day Surgery Unit in Westminster.
Meanwhile the Monarch attended The Coptic Orthodox Church in Stevenage.
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And the royal pair will tonight appear together for the first time since the Scobie saga began, at a pre-Christmas event for 500 members of the Diplomatic Corps.
Kate appeared cheerful and relaxed at Evelina London as she donned a royal blue power suit paired with elegant navy heels and met with the hospital's chief executive, Gubby Ayida.
She cut the ceremonial pink ribbon alongside two young girls who beamed as they stood beside the Princess.
After touring inside the new centre, Kate greeted and shook hands with children at the facility.
The royal mum was handed heartfelt drawings as she laughed and chatted with the excited youngsters.
She began by meeting nine-year-old Ella Moth, who won a competition to design the artwork for the new unit.
Ella’s space-themed drawings were inspired by the death of her father, Piers, who she says has now ‘gone to the stars’.
Her father was treated for brain cancer at Guy’s hospital before he died in 2021.
The Princess, who has been patron of the children’s hospital Evelina London since 2018, asked Ella: "How does it feel to have your design on the wall for other children to enjoy, being an inspiration for loads of other kids?"
Ella replied: "I didn’t think it would ever happen!"
The Princess then met Chloe Morley, 10, who was the unit’s first patient when she had her tonsils removed on July 12.
In the recovery area she met four-and-a-half-year-old Saya Stephenson, who was resting in bed after an operation that morning to remove excess skin for her ears.
The Princess hugged her mother, Miwa Stephenson, who said she had been anxious about the surgery despite it being a relatively minor procedure.
Kate replied: "It’s always a worry though for a parent. We have to keep our cool. It’s so hard."
Meanwhile, King Charles looked cheerful as he attended an Advent Service and Christmas Reception at The Coptic Orthodox Church in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.
Charles appeared relaxed as he donned smiles at the festive event and tried to put current tensions with Harry and Meghan behind him.
The King met with Archbishop Angaelos and young volunteers from the Church's ministries, as well as members of the Coptic Orthodox Church Congregation.
It’s always a worry though for a parent. We have to keep our cool. It’s so hard."
The Princess of Wales
He also proudly unveiled a celebratory plaque and planted a new tree.
Meanwhile, an adorable six-year-old Royal fan gifted the King with a heartwarming Christmas letter during his visit.
The Royal pair's public appearances come after aides said Charles and the princess were continuing with "business as usual" after the Endgame fallout.
Royal sources slammed the claims of racism, branding them “outrageous” and “mendacious smears”, as Buckingham Palace it understood to be "considering all options".
“There has been no rush to make a decision and there certainly will not be a knee-jerk reaction," an insider told the .
And, Charles and Kate will be meeting tonight for the first time since the vile drama unfolded.
They will join together with Queen Camilla and Prince William to put on a united front at Buckingham Palace for a Christmas gathering.
It was lovely to have this recognised with the Princess of Wales today."
Ms Gubby Ayida
In a bid to rise above the current "racism" row, Kate is also hosting a charity Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey as a senior Government minister praised the "dignity" and "grace" of both the princess and her father-in-law.
William and Kate similarly brushed off the drama brewing around them as they received a standing ovation at the Royal Variety Performance held at the Royal Albert Hall last week.
It was the first time the Royal couple had been seen since the royal "racist" row.
When they made their way inside the hall, the crowd cheered and clapped as the couple took their seats.
King Charles also put on a brave face as he attended the COP28 environment conference last week in Dubai.
Scobie previously defended himself on This Morning and said: "I wrote and edited the English version of the book with one publisher, that then gets licensed to other publishers.
"I obviously can't speak Italian, German, French, Dutch or any of the other languages that it's come out.
"I'm as frustrated as everyone else."
He added: "I had never submitted a book that had their names in it. I can only talk about my version.
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"I'm frustrated but I wouldn't say I'm upset about it."
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan are yet to comment on the "racism" row and have been "urged to break their deafening silence".