Photos Of The Royal Family That Aren't What They Seem

No family may be quite as picture-perfect as the British royals. After all, appearances are a major part of the family's job description. And, a huge part of representing the crown is maintaining elements of traditional dress — like gloves for women and military dress for men. 

That being said, there may be another reason why the British royal family tends to look so polished, and it all has to do with the press. Unlike other old-school elite families, the Windsors have found themselves constantly dodging the paparazzi. As Prince Harry shared in a written statement that he submitted to the British court system in a lawsuit against the Mirror Group Newspapers, he was stalked mercilessly by cameramen throughout his youth. Harry explained, "But, if the next day [after an official visit], I want to go out and take my dog for a walk, I would expect some level of privacy, which unfortunately does and never has existed for me" (via The New York Times). This means that royals likely feel undue pressure to be camera-ready all of the time.

Perhaps because the royals prepare so extensively to be photographed, they often present an all-too-perfect image of their family life. Indeed, when everyone is photographed on the balcony, wearing fashionable attire and waving to the crowds, it is difficult to imagine that there is trouble bubbling underneath. Ultimately, though, this doesn't mean that there isn't plenty of drama brewing behind the photos that we see.

King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson are far from being the only royals to appear in photographs that aren't quite what they seem. Queen Elizabeth II — then still a princess — and Prince Philip posed for a photograph with their two young children: Princess Anne and then-Prince Charles. To look at this picture, Elizabeth and Philip were the two most doting parents in the world. As they cradle their two young toddlers, the couple seems hands-on and ready to care for their growing family.

The reality, of course, was altogether different. Indeed, by modern standards, Elizabeth and Philip would not have been considered for many parenting awards. In 1953, the couple famously left Charles and Anne in England for six months during their worldwide tour. At this time, the two young children were left with nannies who took on the major responsibility of their emotional well-being.

Interestingly, even when Elizabeth and Philip were in the same country as their kids, this dynamic did not change much. It is rumored that Elizabeth would only see Charles by appointment. The rest of the time, he was with his royal nannies and governesses. Speaking in the documentary, "Charles & Harry: Father & Son Divided," royal expert Tom Quinn explained, "Charles didn't receive any parenting. His parents were away when he was very young, he was left with nannies in that very Victorian way" (via Daily Mail).

When King Charles III and Princess Diana first announced their engagement on February 24, 1981, most royal fans were pleased. After all, from an outside perspective, it seemed that the couple was truly in love. Upon sharing the news with the public, the pair even posed for a number of photos together. Smiling — although somewhat bashfully — the duo seemed happy to be tying the knot. In one photo, Charles has placed both of his hands on Diana's shoulders in a sign of intimacy. 

Unfortunately, however, these adorable pictures hid the reality that Charles and Diana's union was already heading for disaster — despite the fact that the marriage had not even begun. In fact, due to the somewhat rushed nature of the whole affair, Diana had already begun to doubt that Charles was her ideal match. Speaking in some private tapes, which she had recorded for her biographer, Andrew Morton, the princess later explained, "He sat me down and he said, 'Will you marry me?' And I laughed. I remember thinking, 'This is a joke.' So, I said, 'Yeah, okay.'"

Charles, meanwhile, seemed to hold a totally different view of his bride-to-be. Perhaps he even saw her as a future member of the royal family but not as a lover. As Diana told Morton, just following the engagement, "And I said, 'I love you so much. I love you so much.' And he said, 'Whatever love means.'"

If King Charles III and Princess Diana's wedding photos were already complicated, that was perhaps even more true for their honeymoon photos. Indeed, following their wedding, the couple headed off to a number of locations, including Balmoral, where they posed for some romantic pictures. Fascinatingly, Charles and Diana both appeared comfortable and relaxed in these shots. Dressed in more casual clothing and surrounded by nature, the newlyweds kind of leaned into each other as a way to signal their newfound intimacy. As body language expert Tina Brown would later observe in a conversation with Today, "This [photo] is very unusual, compared to the rest of the relationship. She's relaxing into him, in to merge with him, which is quite lovely."

However, beneath the adorable veneer of Diana and Charles' honeymoon pictures, the couple was struggling with several other issues. Indeed, during this time, Diana, in particular, was battling mental health challenges — especially those involving bulimia and self-harm. As the princess would later recall in some tapes that she privately recorded for her biographer, Andrew Morton, "My dreams were appalling at night. I dreamt of Camilla the whole time. Everybody always thought I'm getting thinner and thinner and thinner. And I was being sicker and sicker and sicker." Ultimately, the royal family called in a psychologist to work with Diana and provide her with some support. Even so, this episode demonstrates the reality that no honeymoon is picture-perfect.

On July 22, 2013, the British royal family changed forever. On this day, Prince William and Princess Catherine welcomed their eldest son, Prince George, at St. Mary's Hospital in London. Interestingly, the couple chose to share this momentous occasion with people across the world — just moments after George was born, his proud parents carried him out onto the hospital steps for the public to see. And, of course, the paparazzi went wild.

To look at the resulting photographs, both William and Catherine were completely at ease. Dressed to the nines in matching baby blue attire, the couple seemed ready to celebrate the arrival of their son. And while Catherine did appear a tad exhausted, she also looked radiant as she held that tiny bundle in her arms. At one moment, the wind brushed the princess' hair away from her face, as if she were some sort of postpartum supermodel. 

At the end of the day, though, looking good and feeling good are two different things. And, if Catherine has had anything to say about it, she didn't exactly feel great in the hours after giving birth. Speaking on the podcast, "Happy Mum, Happy Baby," the princess remembered what it was like to step out in front of all the crowds: "It's slightly terrifying. I'm not going to lie." Even so, Catherine said that the enthusiasm of the public made the experience worth it (via Acast).

When Queen Elizabeth II passed away, people from across the U.K., the Commonwealth, and the entire world mourned the death of a remarkable woman. It is safe to assume, however, that the queen's family suffered the most from her passing — a reality which was particularly apparent at her funeral. King Charles III famously broke his stiff upper lip attitude and shed a tear as he lay his mother to rest. And, perhaps even more moving, the queen's grandchildren seemed to put their royal rifts aside for a day. Indeed, photos of the ceremony revealed that Prince William and Princess Catherine walked to Westminster Abbey alongside Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. 

Sadly, though, the sense of unity demonstrated in these photos was not much more than a bit of posing for the cameras. Throughout Elizabeth's funeral, the body language between the Waleses and the Sussexes divulged all the negativity brewing between the two couples. Speaking to Fox News, human behavior specialist Robi Ludwig shared her opinion that Meghan and Harry seemed particularly isolated from the other attendees. The expert explained, "Meghan is using the hat to hide, a very different presentation style than she's exhibited in the past. She is looking down because she feels the disapproval [of the royal family] and is out of her element." Meanwhile, Ludwig hinted that Harry seemed regretful, "I don't think Harry ever anticipated that his actions would cause this type of lasting strife."