Last Friday, Kate Middleton and Prince William took children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis to the Palladium theater in London to see Pantoland, a festive pantomime held for key workers and their families. And according to the photos inside the theater, Charlotte had the best imaginable time, reacting vociferously to the show from the family's private box.

A quick explanation of the pantomime tradition, for the non-Brits out there: They're family stage shows, typically performed around Christmas, blending music and comedy and a whole lot of audience participation. Audience members typically boo and heckle the villains, cheer the heroes, and chant classic refrains like "He's behind you!", "Oh, yes it is!", and "Oh, no it isn't!" Which makes them very fun for most kids, and exceedingly stressful for the painfully shy ones, leaving them with a lifelong terror of audience participation and a strong likelihood, at the age of 7, to have a full panic meltdown during the bit in Cats when the titular cats dance through the audience. Or maybe that's just me!

Anyway, with that in mind, let's appreciate Charlotte's very enthusiastic responses to Pantoland, which she engaged in far more vigorously than brothers Prince George and Prince Louis. (Being a serious journalist, allow me to add the caveat that these photos might not have been taken during the show itself, and Charlotte might have just been reacting vehemently to some drama in the audience.)

Look at Charlotte shouting! Is she engaging in a mass crowd chant of "He's behind you?" Is she booing at the pantomime villain? Or is she not shouting at all, but simply aghast at the events transpiring on stage? Either way, this photo is excellent!

london, england december 11 catherine, duchess of cambridge, prince louis and princess charlotte attend a special pantomime performance at londons palladium theatre, hosted by the national lottery, to thank key workers and their families for their efforts throughout the pandemic on december 11, 2020 in london, england photo by aaron chown wpa poolgetty images
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Here, a cheeky grin as she giggles with brother George!

london, england december 11 princess charlotte and prince george attend a special pantomime performance at londons palladium theatre, hosted by the national lottery, to thank key workers and their families for their efforts throughout the pandemic on december 11, 2020 in london, england photo by aaron chown wpa poolgetty images
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Charlotte cowers in terror as the pantomime takes a turn for the tense! (Or, alternatively, just leans in for a hug from her mom.)

london, england december 11 catherine, duchess of cambridge, prince louis and princess charlotte attend a special pantomime performance at londons palladium theatre, hosted by the national lottery, to thank key workers and their families for their efforts throughout the pandemic on december 11, 2020 in london, england photo by aaron chown wpa poolgetty images
WPA Pool//Getty Images

A brief emotional moment, with Kate quick to prevent a breakdown reminiscent of me watching Cats in 2000:

london, england december 11 catherine, duchess of cambridge, prince louis, princess charlotte and prince george attend a special pantomime performance at london's palladium theatre, hosted by the national lottery, to thank key workers and their families for their efforts throughout the pandemic on december 11, 2020 in london, england photo by aaron chown wpa poolgetty images
Aaron Chown//Getty Images

Charlotte and Louis lean in for a better look at the action:

london, england december 11 catherine, duchess of cambridge, prince louis and princess charlotte attend a special pantomime performance at london's palladium theatre, hosted by the national lottery, to thank key workers and their families for their efforts throughout the pandemic on december 11, 2020 in london, england photo by aaron chown wpa poolgetty images
Aaron Chown//Getty Images

To conclude: I'm choosing to believe this is a photo of the second littlest Cambridge heckling the pantomime villain with all her tiny might, because that would be adorable:

london, england december 11 catherine, duchess of cambridge, prince louis and princess charlotte attend a special pantomime performance at londons palladium theatre, hosted by the national lottery, to thank key workers and their families for their efforts throughout the pandemic on december 11, 2020 in london, england photo by aaron chown wpa poolgetty images
WPA Pool//Getty Images

And that was your 2020 edition of Princess Charlotte Goes to the Pantomime. Thanks for joining us!

From: Marie Claire US
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Emily Dixon

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.