Prince Charles is one cool cat

The pop star certainly helped put a smile back on Prince Charles's face as she greeted him at the Royal Variety Performance on Thursday night just moments after his car was attacked by a mob of anarchists.

His Royal Highness looked like Miss Minogue was just the tonic he needed after the attack in which he and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall were surrounded by a baying mob just yards away from The Palladium.

Charles and Camilla were visibly shaken after their armoured car was targeted as they made their way to the concert.

Riot

Earlier in the evening, the royal couple sat terrified as their Rolls-Royce was kicked, pelted with objects, shaken from side to side and splattered with paint.

Camilla began to cry and clasped Charles's hand as masked thugs surged past police outriders, smashed a window and tried to overturn the limo.

The attack came after 20,000 protesters paralysed London asu00a0 voted to triple tuition fees to ufffd9,000 (Rs 6.40 lakh)u00a0 a year.

Rioters vandalised Westminster in running battles with police that left 55 people injured including 12 officers.

According to witnesses, the Duchess looked ashen-faced as she stepped from a royal limo after getting caught in the violence that marred yesterday's student protests.

The pair were surrounded as they were being driven a mile to the Royal Variety show's starstudded reception.

Student Matthew Brown, who saw the attack, said all hell broke loose when a security car tried to force its way through the crowd as protesters shouted: "You can't knock people down!"

Cool Charles is reported to have smiled and given a cheeky thumbs-up as the limo finally got clear.

"Someone yelled, 'It's Charles and Camilla!' and they threw bins in the road to stop the car," said another witness.

Both Charles and Camilla managed a brave smile as they arrived at the theatre to meet stars including Kylie Minogue and Take That.

Camilla laughed off the incident, saying, "I'm fine, thanks first time for everything."

PM David Cameron slammed the attack as "shocking and regrettable". He said: "People are entitled to protest peacefully. But this was unacceptable."

'Sorry'
The son of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour has issued an apology for climbing on top of one of Britain's most important war memorials during protests against rising university fees. Charlie says he wants to say sorry for the "terrible insult" to those who died for the country.

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