Dancing on Ice star Brendan Cole has opened up about his once-in-a-lifetime visit to Buckingham Palace during which he may have broken royal protocol.
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The former Strictly Come Dancing pro was attending a tea dance hosted by the Duchess of Cornwall in November 2017 when he grabbed the opportunity to ask Prince Charles' wife to dance. "When it happened, I probably broke protocol a little bit. I didn't really know," Brendan told HELLO! at the time.
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"We'd finished the group dancing for the day. She was stood there, and I was right there. We were going to get everyone up to dance anyway and I said, 'I don't know what the situation is but if it's okay, I'd like to ask you to dance.'
"It was one of those things. I didn't really know if I was supposed to or not, but I asked her permission and she was absolutely charming and we stood up and mucked around for a little bit. But the smile on her face told it all, I think."
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Brendan, who said Camilla's dance skills were "up there with the very best", performed the cha cha cha with the royal. The pair were pictured taking to the dancefloor at the event hosted for the National Osteoporosis Society.
© Photo: AlamyBrendan Cole visited Buckingham Palace back in 2017
"It was one of the best days I've ever had," he recalled. "You get yourself ready. You put your best suit on. I felt really important. I felt like I was doing a really worthwhile thing for osteoporosis.
"And then Her Royal Highness came through and she's so charming, she's so lovely. She made us feel so welcome. We had this lovely day with wonderful people. I must say, when I see the photos, I couldn't feel prouder. We both look really, really lovely. We're having a good time."
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Brendan revealed his royal encounter at the premiere of Cirque du Soleil's OVO at the Royal Albert Hall. The dancer was joined by his wife Zoe, who at the time was heavily pregnant with their second child.
Brendan shares two children with his Zoe, who he married back in 2010. The couple welcomed their daughter on Christmas Day in 2012, and their son Dante in March 2018.
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