The Prince and Princess of Wales smiled and laughed as they arrived for the Royal Variety Performance on Thursday amid the row caused by Omid Scobie’s book on the royal family.

The pair looked in good spirits and shared a joke with one of the world’s oldest working supermodels, Daphne Selfe, about the princess’s height.

The Dutch version of Endgame, penned by journalist Mr Scobie, names two members of the royal family alleged to have raised “concerns” about the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son, Archie.

Mr Scobie has been accused of being behind a “stunt to sell books” and the Dutch edition was subsequently pulled from shelves, but Kate and William did not appear to be affected on Thursday evening.

Meeting at the entrance of the Royal Albert Hall in London where the performance was taking place, Absolutely Fabulous actress Selfe, 95, said that the princess was tall, and Kate laughed: “I have high heels on, I’m cheating.”

Smiling, William added: “I don’t have high heels on, not yet.”

Commenting on the chilly temperatures in the entrance hall, William told Selfe: “They left you in the coldest part of the building, I’m sorry about that.”

He asked her when she retired, to which the model said she hadn’t.

The Prince, appearing surprised, responded: “Oh, you’re still going? That’s amazing.”

He added: “They don’t make you travel around too much to they?” to which she replied she enjoys the travel.

Selfe wore a silver dress patterned with roses and finished with red feather cuffs, which Kate complimented.

She said: “Hello Daphne, I love your outfit. She looks fantastic.”

The Prince of Wales pointed to Kate’s blue teal dress from designer Toteme and told Selfe that it was from Sweden.

Ahead of the performance, Kate was presented with a bouquet of flowers, along with fellow attendee the Crown Princess of Sweden, who is on an official visit to the UK, and whose gift contained Campanulas, the national flower of her home country.

As the Prince and Princess of Wales walked into their golden box they received a standing ovation.

The couple shared the box with the Crown Princess and her husband Prince Daniel.

They will watch a headline performance from American popstar Cher.

Presenter Bradley Walsh will introduce the other acts including pianist Lang Lang and Never Gonna Give You Up singer Rick Astley, comedian Rosie Jones, former Spice Girls member Mel C, and Swedish singer Zara Larsson.

Former comedian Paul Chuckle, whose real name is Paul Hartman Elliott, was spotted in the audience wearing black tie.

The annual event held at the Royal Albert Hall is in aid of the Royal Variety Charity, which offers grants to people in the entertainment industry and runs a care home in Twickenham.