George and Charlotte make surprise appearance in Cardiff ahead of concert

Prince George and Princess Charlotte made a surprise visit to Wales with their parents the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as the nation gears up for the Platinum Party at the Palace.

Across the country, the royal family met well-wishers celebrating the Jubilee, with the Earl and Countess of Wessex visiting Northern Ireland and the Princess Royal at the Epsom Derby with her family.

Derby Day is missing the Queen, who has suffered a recurrence of her mobility problems, but jockey Frankie Dettori said she would be watching on television.

The Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge will take to the stage to pay tribute to the Queen during the star-studded Jubilee concert being staged in the front of Buckingham Palace on Saturday evening.

Diana Ross, Queen and Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Hans Zimmer, George Ezra, and Eurovision 2022 runner-up Sam Ryder are among the celebrity acts preparing to entertain a live crowd of 22,000 people and a television audience of millions.

Charlotte and George enjoyed another day celebrating the Queen’s 70-year reign, meeting stars and technical crew at Cardiff Castle, where final preparations were underway for a concert honouring the monarch in the grounds.

The royal siblings were making their first official visit to Wales, Kensington Palace said.

George was pictured working the controls of a technical desk, while Charlotte grinned at her brother as she conducted musicians with her hands.

When the future king and his sister joined their parents on a walkabout, the seven-year-old princess collected bouquets of flowers – as did her eight-year-old brother.

In Northern Ireland, Edward pulled a pint of Guinness and served it to a customer when the Wessexes visited a 1950s pop-up diner, part of a vintage seaside funfair at Bangor, Co Down.

Meanwhile, the Countess was put through her paces at a ’50s and ’60s dance demonstration during their visit to the beachfront.

Anne clearly enjoyed her time at the Epsom Races and was all smiles when she arrived with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.

She was joined in the royal box by her daughter Zara Tindall, who was with her husband Mike Tindall, and her son Peter Phillips, who was pictured with his girlfriend, who has been named in numerous reports as Lindsay Wallace.

Jubilee celebrations took place at the racecourse in the Queen’s absence, with 40 jockeys who have ridden for the owner-breeder donning the royal racing silks and forming a guard of honour before the national anthem was sung.

Frankie Dettori and Willie Carson, who has ridden some of the Queen’s most memorable winners, lined part of the course with the other jockeys.

Describing the pride he felt while riding for the Queen in her racing colours, Dettori told BBC News: “Every time you see these (colours) on your peg you (have) this sense of importance and it’s a great honour.

“Look, she’s a big lover of horse racing, and like you say she’s only missed the Derby twice.

“But I’m sure today she’ll find a TV and she’s going to watch it live because she loves the Derby so much.”