The Most Epic Kisses In Royal History
The notion of royalty has always been attractive, even for people in the United States who don't have a royal family of their own. From the early days of Prince Charles and Princess Diana to the 2020 drama about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepping back from the British royal family, royals have always demanded attention — and we certainly give it to them.
Whether it's their expensive outfits — both Markle and Kate Middleton certainly have not shied away from pricey attire — or their lavish lifestyles, royals consistently stay in the public eye. But nothing gets more attention than when royal couples share public displays of affection. Even if it's a quick kiss on the cheek, PDA from royal couples is rarely seen, so it's a big deal when spotted.
We combed through the history books (or history websites, in this case) to track down some of the best royal couple moments. Have you ever wondered what Queen Elizabeth's relationship with her husband is like? Or when Prince William and Kate Middleton shared their first smooch? Well wonder no more: Here are the most epic kisses in royal history.
The future king of England sealed the deal with this epic royal kiss in 2011
Many people remember where they were during a number of important historical events, and the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton is no exception. The couple, who met in college, were married in 2011 and it was quite the spectacle. But what had onlookers swooning the most were the two epic royal kisses the newlyweds shared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
As noted by ABC News at the time, the couple — who had officially become the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — shared their newly married kisses with the literal thousands of people watching them (not to mention the 2 billion people watching on television.) Prince William was clearly taken with his new bride, because after giving her a light peck on the lips, he went back in for another kiss just minutes later. And who could blame him? Kate was the picture of beauty!
To top off the moment, the bells of Westminster Abbey rang out, planes whooshed across the sky, and heart-shaped balloons floated in the air. We can dream.
New parents Prince Harry and Meghan Markle weren't afraid to share an epic royal kiss at this event
When it comes to sharing a little PDA, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle don't disappoint. While at an event on their royal tour of Southern Africa, Prince Harry left Markle behind for appearances on his own, but that didn't stop him from sharing an epic royal kiss with his wife first.
According to Harper's Bazaar, the couple had met with surf mentors earlier in the day, and apparently couldn't stop talking about the other — especially when it came to their son, Archie. "He's the best dad," Meghan gushed. "And she's the best mom," Prince Harry replied. Please excuse us while we go sob.
The exchange and their subsequent kiss led to a lot of chatter on social media, with people praising the couple's very apparent love for each other. "Sealed with a kiss, the People's Prince & Princess. One of the things I love about Harry and Meghan, they are not afraid to show their love," one Twitter user wrote. Cute.
This royal bride asked her husband if they should share an epic royal kiss after their wedding ceremony
If this doesn't say millennial bride, then we don't know what does. When Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank got married in 2018, the new bride literally asked her husband, "Do you want to kiss?" According to People, the pair wed at St. George's Chapel located at Windsor Castle, and much like other royal couples who came before them, they shared an epic royal kiss in front of a very excited crowd.
Princess Eugenie — who's undergone a stunning transformation — looked stunning on her wedding day, wearing a custom gown by designers Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos. But much like the rest of us, the princess apparently had the wedding day jitters — hence the earnest question she asked her new husband, which had the internet buzzing.
Although Jack and Princess Eugenie's wedding was much smaller than Prince William and Kate Middleton's nuptials, or Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's ceremonies (it was attended by close friends and family), it still had royal fans gushing over the new couple's cute PDA. What do we need to do to get invited?
Newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shared an epic royal kiss outside of Windsor Castle following their wedding
Royal weddings should be international holidays, because it seemed like everyone was glued to the television when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married. After their ceremony at Windsor Castle, the couple shared an epic royal kiss on the steps of St. George's Chapel, as noted by BBC – and it did not disappoint.
Unlike other royal couples, Prince Harry and Meghan (even while dating) didn't shy away from PDA, but that didn't make their first kiss as a married couple any less exciting. According to Harper's Bazaar, the couple were positively beaming with happiness as they exited the chapel — and while they didn't enjoy the splendor of the balcony at Buckingham Palace like Prince William and Kate Middleton did for their first public kiss, Prince Harry and Meghan couldn't have looked more content.
News of the kiss quickly made its way to social media, and people could not hold their love for the couple back. "How beautiful is this couple! So real! So comfortable!" one Twitter user wrote.
This epic royal kiss between a young Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2006 had us all swooning
Plenty of folks were interested in Prince William's dating live from its start. First, he was romantically linked to fellow students at St. Andrews University in Scotland, an actress, and a writer before getting serious with Kate Middleton. And even when Prince William and Kate got together, their relationship was a bit on-again/off-again, as they split for several months in 2007.
However, before that separation, Prince William and Kate snuck an epic royal kiss in while at an Eton College sports event. The year: 2006. Kate's outfit: low rise jeans (with a belt) and a brown jacket; Prince William was dressed in sporting attire. And although the moment between the couple was very brief, their quick peck on the cheek was probably the most PDA we'd seen from the couple up until that point. As noted by Insider, William had his arm wrapped around Kate as they embraced, and for a couple that keeps their physical affection on the down low, this was great to see.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles shared an epic royal kiss in front of 750 million viewers
If this wasn't the kiss that was seen around the world, then we don't know what is. Prince Charles and Princess Diana had the world glued to its screens for their nuptials in 1981, and their wedding-day decisions ultimately changed royal protocol. Before the children, the cheating scandal, and the divorce the couple eventually went through, Prince Charles and Princess Diana's marriage was the jewel of the United Kingdom.
On the day of their wedding, Prince Charles and Princess Diana made their way to Buckingham Palace for their portraits. As noted by PopSugar, the couple then made their way out to the balcony of the palace where literally thousands upon thousands of people were waiting to greet them. Reportedly, the crowd encouraged Prince Charles to give his new wife an epic royal kiss, and he (partially) obliged by kissing her hand. The crowd then began saying, "Give her a kiss," and he finally kissed his wife on the lips. Steamy.
This choice arguably set the stage for royal wedding protocol, and Prince Charles' son Prince William followed in his footsteps on his own wedding day.
These royal newlyweds broke protocol by sharing an epic royal kiss at their wedding in private
Speaking of royal protocol, this newlywed couple broke tradition during their 2020 wedding. Princess Beatrice — one of two daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson — married her husband, property executive Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, in a small, private ceremony. Unlike previous royal weddings, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo chose to not kiss in front of the public, nor did they release photos of their first kiss. But their wedding was not the grand affair that was originally planned.
As noted by Insider, the couple were supposed to get married at St. James's Palace with a reception at Buckingham Palace to follow. But due to the restrictions on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple canceled their grand wedding plans. Instead, they opted for a small ceremony with a select guest list (via Harper's Bazaar).
Even without an epic royal kiss, the wedding itself was stunning, and Princess Beatrice looked beautiful in the historic dress she borrowed from her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. "Edo and I are so excited to embark on this new chapter together," Beatrice later tweeted. Cute.
Queen Elizabeth and her husband shared an epic royal kiss on New Year's Eve in 1999
We honestly can't imagine being married to someone for seven decades. You read that right, seven. That's as insane as it is admirable, and that's how long Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip have been hitched. But despite being together for 70 years, the couple has very rarely shown any sort of PDA. So that's what makes this little romantic moment decades ago so sweet.
As noted by Hello! magazine, royal protocol has prevented Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip from "embracing when at public events or royal engagements." However, that didn't stop Prince Philip from giving his wife an epic royal kiss at the New Year's Eve celebrations in 1999. While ringing in the historic year at the Millennium Dome in Greenwich, Prince Philip lightly kissed the Queen's cheek, providing us with one of their very rare public romantic moments.
Here's a little info about the royal couple that is just pretty wild: Queen Elizabeth met Prince Philip for the first time when she was just 13 years old, and they became engaged just following her 21st birthday in 1947.
This 16 year old gave the Duchess of Sussex an epic royal kiss on the cheek
Oh the scandal. While visiting the Robert Clack School in March of 2020, Meghan Markle (aka the Duchess of Sussex) was surprised when a 16 year old student embraced her — and kissed her on the cheek!
The whole exchange is really quite wholesome. As noted by Insider, student Aker Okoye said that he was "just so overwhelmed and shocked" to meet the Duchess that he couldn't help himself, planting an epic royal kiss on her cheek. But Okoye clearly felt guilty over the situation, as he penned a letter to Prince Harry apologizing for the incident. "I hope you didn't mind me cuddling your wife," he wrote in a letter published by The Sun. "It was a pleasure to hear her speech and to speak in front of her as well." Okoye later told The Sun that it was the "best day of (his) life so far."
As if the sweet exchange couldn't be more heartwarming, it was topped off by Meghan's reaction. She noted Okoye's "incredible confidence." Not the most salacious royal kiss, but certainly one of the most enduring.
The sweetest kiss of the list: Prince William gave his son a royal kiss on the forehead
Add this to your list of "cutest moments in history," not just to the list of the most epic royal kisses in history. When Princess Charlotte was born in 2015, Prince William briefly left the Lindo Wing of the hospital, and fetched the newest big brother, Prince George. Just 2 at the time, Prince George was already accustomed to waving to the crowd, but the big day proved to be a little overwhelming for the toddler.
As noted by Hello! magazine, Prince George was walking with Prince William to meet his new little sister when he put his arms up and beckoned for his dad to pick him up. And in that cutest of cute moment, Prince William gave his sweet little son an epic royal kiss on the head. Excuse us while we go melt in a puddle!
And if we didn't love this exchange already, Prince George was wearing the sweetest outfit known to humankind. His blue, button-down cardigan was matched by his knee-high socks and buckle shoes — and he just so happened to be matching his dad.
This epic royal kiss shared between Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew was just perfect
The royal family his no stranger to drama, but all of the tension seemed to melt away during Prince Andrew's wedding to Sarah Ferguson (commonly referred to as Fergie). The couple was married in 1986, and like Prince Charles and Princess Diana five years prior, they too shared an epic royal kiss on the balcony of Buckingham palace, as noted by Harper's Bazaar. We would just like to know what we need to do in order to score a kiss with a prince on the balcony of a palace. Is that really too much to ask for?
But the couple's happiness was rather short-lived. Despite having two children, the two separated in 1992 and were officially divorced in 1996. At the time of their separation, Prince Andrew and Fergie split due to "irreconcilable differences," as noted by BBC. Apparently, Queen Elizabeth expressed a great deal of unhappiness over the whole ordeal and even blamed Fergie for the split.
An official statement from the palace noted that "the Queen hope(d) that the media (would) spare the Duke and Duchess of York and their children any intrusion."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stole an epic royal kiss from each other at this polo match
If any royal couple is known for their PDA, it's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Despite royal protocol, Prince Harry and Meghan have found ways to sneak it in here and there, and their exchange in July 2018 didn't disappoint. While at a charity polo match, the newlyweds shared an epic royal kiss on the victory stand, as noted by Glamour.
Prince Harry and Meghan's love for each other has always been evident, but since this was the first time they'd kissed in public since their May 2018 wedding, it was such a cute moment to witness.
A longtime photographer that's covered the royal family, Mark Stewart, told People that the couple isn't afraid to be bold. "They are not afraid to hold hands," he shared. "They don't mind showing their emotions." Thank god, honestly. And to top it off, the internet went a little crazy over their sweet kiss. "Did Harry & Meghan just kiss???" a Twitter user asked, while sharing a very relatable gif along with it. Ugh, these two are the best.
There's something about polo matches, because Kate Middleton and Prince William shared an epic royal kiss at a match in 2011
The OG royal couple that doesn't often display their affection for each other in public fell victim to the romantic vibes of a polo match in 2011. Back in their first year of marriage, Prince William and Kate Middleton shared a sweet kiss at a polo event, and it did not disappoint.
As noted by Access, the newlyweds were at the Santa Barbara Racquet and Polo Club, and the match benefited the American Friends of the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry. And while it wasn't the first time that Kate had been tasked with handing Prince William polo trophies (ok, humble brag), the epic royal kiss she shared with her husband at the event was one for the books.
So we had a charity polo match, a foundation that benefitted from said polo match, a gorgeous Kate Middleton handing out trophies, and an epic royal kiss to top it all off. What is it about polo matches and where can we score an invitation?
Again with the polo matches -- because Prince Charles and Princess Diana shared an epic royal kiss at one in 1987
And once more with the polo games. Clearly they put something in the air at these events, because for a royal family that really doesn't share a whole lot of romantic moments with the world, many royal couples have shared a kiss or two at polo matches.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana — who underwent a stunning transformation — were no exception in 1987. They were seen at the Guards Polo Club (in part due to Prince Charles' history of playing the sport), where Princess Diana was watching her husband play along with her two sons. While handing Prince Charles his trophy, Princess Diana and her sweetie shared an epic royal kiss.
For a couple whose marriage was about to go down in flames, the moment was quite sweet. As noted by History, Princess Diana and Prince Charles divorced in 1996. Princess Diana, who gave up her "Royal Highness" title after the divorce, was tragically killed in a car accident in August 1997.