Royals Who Weren't Afraid To Show Their Emotions

The following article references suicide.

The royal family members are known for a variety of things — their opulent wealth, their slightly out of touch approach to the public, and their stiff upper lip approach to emotion. Any child of a British family with grandparents of Queen Elizabeth II's generation can tell you that expressing lovey dovey feelings isn't exactly the natural way. While affection can be shown in shared time together, mutual hobbies, or acts of service, expressing how you feel certainly isn't the usual British way — the royals have followed this to the letter.

For all the years she was on the throne, Elizabeth maintained a decorum that was truly mind blowing. She was not pictured crying while disembarking her plane in the immediate aftermath of her father's death, and she kept her composure in the wake of the Windsor Castle fire. Time and time again, she charged ahead with a level headedness that only few can say they've achieved, and she certainly became known for her balanced approach. Still, other royals have let their emotions slip out on occasion, and some have even been steadfast in sharing.

Prince Harry, of course, is known for expressing himself and sharing the realities of royal life. Tremendously open about mental health, Harry has made a name for himself by redefining what it means to be a member of the royal family. Still, others have shared their own feelings on the public stage — no stiff upper lip here.

After leaving Great Britain for California, Prince Harry embarked on a crusade of sorts to share the realities of royal life. Instead of the castles and wealth and recognition, Harry painted a picture depicting press office backstabbing and a family at war with itself. As part of his efforts, Harry released his tell-all memoir, "Spare," and sat down with Anderson Cooper for an expository interview to discuss the book in length. Reflecting specifically on his mother, the late Diana Spencer, Harry emotionally revealed that not only did he not shed a tear when he was delivered the news of her death at the young age of 12, but that he genuinely believed that it was all a ruse.

"In the book you write, '[King Charles III] says, 'They tried, darling boy. I'm afraid she didn't make it.' These phrases remain in my mind like darts on a board,' you say," Cooper said. "Did you cry?"

"No. No. Never shed a single tear at that point," Harry replied. "I was in shock, you know? ... For a long time, I just refused to accept that she was — she was gone," Harry said. "Part of, you know, she would never do this to us, but also part of, maybe this is all part of a plan ... and then that she would call us and that we would go and join her."

Princess Anne could be considered the most stoic of the royals. Queen Elizabeth II's second child and only daughter, Anne is a workhorse who has dedicated herself to the monarchy unlike any other member of the royal family; she is often named the hardest working member of the firm, outshining her older brother with the amount of engagements she attends. Anne is no fuss, all things business, and forthright — seeing emotions on her part is like witnessing a shooting star in the sky, but royal watchers were granted a glimpse into her feelings following her mother's passing.

After Elizabeth passed at Balmoral in Scotland, Anne escorted the coffin as it traveled throughout Great Britain so mourners could pay their respects. There was not a stop along the way that Anne was not present, and her dedication was brought to a new level in the public eye. When the queen's coffin was transported to the Palace of the Holyroodhouse in Scotland, Anne curtsied for what would be the last time to her mother, and the moment was moving.

Caught on-camera, Anne was standing next to her husband, Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, as she took her final bow to the late monarch. Her face was sullen, clearly distressed, and the subtle emotional glimpse reminded all royal watchers just how much respect Anne had for the queen. It was truly a sight to see.

While Prince Harry has expressed his emotions and shared the realities of royal life, his brother, Prince William, has taken a far more traditional and firm-oriented approach. As the future king, William has arguably embraced the royal system for all its flaws; like his elder family members, he has seldom expressed his true emotions in a way that rejects the stiff upper lip approach. However, one talking point that William has historically been emotionally open about is the death of his mother, the late Diana Spencer, and he spoke about the moment he found out she passed while speaking at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

William and Harry were in Scotland, at Balmoral Castle, on August 31, 1997. They were just 15 and 12 at the time. "Scotland is incredibly important to me and will always have a special place in my heart," William said of the country during his speech. "I've been coming to Scotland since I was a small boy. As I grew up, I saw how my grandmother relishes every minute she spends here. And my father is never happier than when walking among the hills."

"I was in Balmoral when I was told that my mother had died. Still in shock, I found sanctuary in the service at Crathie Kirk that very morning," he continued. "As a result, the connection I feel to Scotland will forever run deep."

If any of the current crop of royals follows in the level-headed footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II, it's Princess Catherine. She is not only dedicated to the crown, but is the picture of decorum. It's seldom that Catherine shares a particularly emotional moment, instead maintaining her game face, but she did crack in the aftermath of Elizabeth's death. Joining her husband, Prince William, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — of which we'll get to in a minute — Catherine walked the grounds of Windsor following the monarch's passing and greeted mourners. Taking the time to talk to the crowds, Catherine shared a touching remark about her youngest son, Prince Louis, who comforted her amid the family's loss.

"My little Louis is just so sweet. He said, 'Mummy don't worry, because she is now with great grandpa,'" Catherine said (via Hello!), clearly holding back tears as she recalled her young son's sweet attempt to console her. The world was once again taken aback when Catherine's daughter, Princess Charlotte, was seen crying at the queen's funeral. The emotional moment made William's statement released after his grandmother's death that much more impactful.

"My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives," he wrote at the time. "I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real."

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they would be stepping back as senior members of the royal family, they hit their final week of engagements with renewed smiles and colorful ensembles. However, the tone shifted significantly when Harry and Meghan sat down with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, revealing for the first time just how dire the situation was within the firm. From Harry's experience with mental health and grief to an unnamed relative's questions about the skin tone of their first child, the couple shared mind-boggling details that few could've seen coming. For her part, Meghan revealed an emotional experience regarding her own mental state, sharing with Oprah that she had thoughts of suicide while pregnant.

"I went to the institution, and I said that I needed to go somewhere to get help, I said I'd never felt this way before ... and I was told that I couldn't, that it wouldn't be good for the institution," Meghan said, noting that she approach "one of the most senior people" with her issues. She later told her husband about how much she was struggling, adding, "I knew that if I didn't say it, that I would do it — and I just didn't want to be alive anymore."

"My biggest concern was history repeating itself," Harry followed up with, alluding to his mother and the difficulties she too faced.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

When Prince William, Princess Catherine, Prince Harry, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, stepped out together on the grounds of Windsor in the aftermath of Queen Elizabeth II's death, the public was shocked. The two couples hadn't been seen together in ages, and the amount of tension between them was palpable. And while all involved parties tried to put on a brave face, Catherine hasn't always been particularly great at keeping her disapproving looks to herself. Meghan and Harry were certainly on her hit list, and royal correspondent Robert Jobson gave more insight into Catherine's emotions in his book, "Our King."

Highlighting the negative feelings Catherine had against the couple that definitely manifested on the day, Jobson wrote (via Daily Mail), "Catherine later admitted to a senior royal that, such was the ill feeling between the two couples, the joint walkabout was one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do. Bear in mind this was before Prince Harry published 'Spare,' the autobiography that not only revealed family secrets but laid bare his resentment of his brother. It was before the cloying Netflix documentary series he did with Meghan, and the succession of TV interviews in which he criticized the royal institution."

He added, "If Catherine found it almost unbearable before all this to share a walkabout with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, then how — one has to wonder — do she and William feel about them now?"