Prince William and Kate Middleton Meet One Direction at Royal Variety Performance 

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Prince William and Kate Middleton Meet One Direction at Royal Variety Performance—See the Pics!

by Bruna Nessif Thu., Nov. 13, 2014 7:32 PM PST

The royals came face to face with boy band royalty.

Prince William and Kate Middleton made a stunning appearance for the Royal Variety Performances at the London Palladium on Thursday night, and upon their time at the event, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge finally met the boys of One Direction.

Both Will and Kate flashed a giant smile as they shook hands with Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne.

"I said congratulations on the bump," Harry said after meeting the pregnant royal, though he added that she "didn\'t look bumpy."

The royal couple chatted with the band about their touring plans, and Prince William promising he\'d been "keeping a close eye" on the young pop stars (no pressure, guys!)

"It\'s the most nervous I think I\'ve ever been in my life," Liam said.

Meanwhile, Tomlinson feared that he may have made a mistake when greeting Kate. "I didn\'t say ma\'am," he said, as the royal couple made their way into the theater. "I said—Hi. How are you? I\'m Louis." Payne joked: "So he\'s off to a bad start."

The band was due to take to the stage at the charity gala, along with Bette Midler, Ed Sheeran and the couple\'s wedding singer, Ellie Goulding.

And, per usual, the royals looked absolutely perfect.

Catherine wore a lace Diane von Furstenberg gown, which showed off her small baby bump, and her hair was pulled back in a rare but elegant updo. At her side, Prince William looked perfectly dapper in a classic black tux.

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