Actress Reveals that Princess Charlotte Had a Special Backstage Experience Orchestrated by Proud Mom Kate

Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte share a love for the arts, and the future Queen frequently brings her kids to experience the London cultural scene. From musicals to ballets and concerts, George, Charlotte and Louis have been treated to some world-class performances, and one West End actress revealed what happened when she met two of the Wales children in 2022.

Speaking to Hello! magazine, Zizi Strallen, who is currently starring as Glinda in the London production of Wicked, shared that the Princess of Wales made a sweet request on behalf of Charlotte when Strallen was starring as Mary Poppins on the West End.

"Kate brought Prince George and Princess Charlotte to see Mary Poppins,” the actress said. “They came backstage and she said to me: 'Would it be okay for Charlotte to have a cuddle with Mary Poppins?' I was like: 'Yes!' She wanted to hug me, which was really cute.”

Strallen added that she had another royal-adjacent visit the same day when Sir David Beckham turned up to a performance with his family. "It was a surreal day, because they came in the afternoon, and then David Beckham and Victoria came in the evening with [their children] Harper, Romeo and Cruz," she shared.

Her encounter with Princess George and Princess Charlotte wasn't the first time Strallen met royalty. In 2019, the actress had the chance to speak with Princess Kate for the first time during the Royal Variety Performance, but Strallen said her three sisters—who are all West End stars themselves—make fun of her for her reaction.

"My sisters take the mickey out of me for this, because there’s a video of me meeting Kate at the Royal Variety Performance in 2019; I'm dressed as Mary Poppins, and as she walks away, I do the most awkward little-girl wave," Strallen admitted. "I was bowled over by how tall, statuesque and stunning she was, and she and William were so normal."

Perhaps Charlotte can get another hug if she sees Wicked this holiday season.