The Best Royal Moments Of 2026 (So Far)

2026 is sure to go down in history for more reasons than one. Just like it has for the rest of us, plenty has transpired already this year for the British royal family. So, what better time than now to take a look back at the special moments royal watchers have enjoyed the most since the year began, and think about what's still to come? 

Every year, we expect to see the members of the monarchy attend special occasions and engage with the public at royal events. 2026 has been no different, and as always, it's made for some sweet and special moments for lovers of the royal family. We all got to see the Walses' adorably coordinating outfits at Trooping the Colour, we noticed the kids looking more grown-up than ever, and we even got to watch King Charles III let loose a bit. Perhaps most importantly, though, we saw the cracks within the royal family begin to come together, indicating that the wounded family bond may finally be healing. All in all, from an outside perspective, 2026 has been a good year for the royals so far. And, from the looks of it, it's only going to get better from here.

Just as they do every year, in June, the royal family celebrated the king's birthday at Trooping the Colour 2026. We've come to expect Catherine, Princess of Wales' ensemble for the celebration to share matching details with Princess Charlotte of Wales' look. Once again, the mother-daughter duo was coordinated in their Trooping the Colour outfits. This time, though, Kate Middleton and Charlotte also shared an adorable style bond with Prince George of Wales and Prince Louis of Wales.

Kate wore head-to-toe baby blue for the summery celebration. The white part of her hat and white trim on her long jacket matched her white jewelry and Charlotte's all-white dress. The young princes sported navy suits with crisp white shirts and pale blue ties. While standing on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside a military uniform-clad William, Prince of Wales, the matching mom and kids looked like an adorable family unit — coordinated but still showing their own unique styles.

We all know that the royals have certain appearances they must maintain while in the public eye. This has given members of the famous family a reputation for being a bit stuffy and overly serious. Of course, this is a big part of their role as members of the monarchy. Behind the scenes, though, they're surely not as committed to acting perfectly proper as they are in public. Some might be surprised to hear that King Charles III has a sense of humor. Yet, when he made CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins burst out laughing in a playful exchange during his U.S. state visit in April, it became clear that he's not so serious after all. 

Ever since Donald Trump accused Collins of never smiling, there have been plenty of occasions that proved him wrong. One of those moments happened when Charles was meeting folks during his state visit. Upon meeting Charles, comedian Matt Friend attempted an impression of the king. "Keep trying. We'll award you marks of merit," Charles quickly replied, per Parade. The response earned laughter from Collins and made for a cute moment.

For royal fans, it's certainly special to watch the future king grow from a baby, being introduced to the world on the steps of St. Mary's hospital, to a young man. 2026 is the year Prince George of Wales will officially become a teenager, and a few months ahead of his birthday, everyone started to notice just how grown up he's beginning to look. Pics of George putting his towering height on display with his family on Easter got a lot of attention online. Folks noticed that the young prince is now almost as tall as his mom Catherine, Princess of Wales when she's wearing heels.

Kate Middleton stands at 5 feet, 9 inches, and for Easter celebrations, she was reportedly wearing Ralph Lauren pumps that made her approximately 6 feet, 1 inch. George appears to be rapidly approaching that height at just 12 years old. This is particularly impressive, since the average height for boys his age starts at just 4 feet, 10 inches. Considering the fact that William, Prince of Wales is 6 feet, 3 inches, royal watchers probably shouldn't have been as surprised as they were to see how tall George is getting. It's safe to say, he'll likely be getting quite a bit taller in the years to come.

Throughout all the goings-on with the royal family, it's hard to ignore just how much smaller the group is than it once was. That is, in large part, a result of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex's choice to leave the royals behind and move across the pond. Yet, for royal watchers hoping the fractured family might come back together, there have seemingly been more steps in the right direction in 2026 than before. This year, Prince Harry has reportedly been more determined than ever to mend his rift with King Charles III. And, his reported choice to visit the U.K. this summer with Meghan and their two children (which they haven't done since 2022) just might be the key to reconciliation.

News that there are plans in place for Charles to spend time with Harry's children during the U.K. visit certainly indicates that the father-son duo may be on the precipice of forgiveness. Charles is reportedly thrilled to see Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie during the trip. He's so thrilled, in fact, that he has reportedly offered for Harry, Meghan, and the kids to stay in one of the royal family's estates during their trip, hinting that the icy royal rift could be thawing as we speak. If this summer does bring the royal family back together, then 2026 is sure to go down in history as a special year for the monarchy.