The Duke and Duchess of Sussex received a standing ovation at the Royal Albert Hall as they attended one of their final public engagements before they step back as senior royals.

The couple were treated to a sustained round of applause before the national anthem and as they took their seats in the royal box at the London venue on Saturday for the annual Mountbatten Festival of Music.

They were attending the event in Harry’s role as Captain General of the Royal Marines, and had the opportunity to meet the performers during the interval. Backstage, a corridor was lined with uniformed band members, with whom the royal couple laughed and joked, before heading on to the stage to meet more attendees and musicians.

The royal couple meeting performers during the interval. Photograph: Eddie Mulholland/AFP via Getty Images

During the performance, the audience were led in a singalong of hits sung by Sir Tom Jones including Delilah and It’s Not Unusual.

Warrant Officer, Reg Sheen, the festival manager, said it was “absolutely fantastic” to see the Sussexes and that he was “delighted” Harry was the force’s Captain General. Sheen, who was a member of the greeting party, added: “The reaction they got from the audience when they arrived was very emotional for the Royal Marines.”