For the British royal family, being in the public eye all the time means two things: Sometimes, the cameras are going to catch a photo that makes it look like they're upset, but it's been taken out of context. And second, when they really are having a bad day, the photographers are probably going to capture it. That's the nature of the beast when it comes to being famous. When they step outside, they have almost no privacy. That alone is enough to make the royals look peeved in public, but then there are outside forces that also come into play.
Not all the royals get along, but they have to attend the same events, and that can lead to some awkward exchanges. Maybe a couple is having a private argument that gets taken public — if they're not always looking at each other adoringly.
For the most part, the royals are usually all smiles when they're out and about. Kate Middleton is almost always a ray of sunshine, and Meghan Markle, with her Hollywood training, certainly knows how to charm the camera. Prince William is usually good for a chuckle, and the royal kids are usually pretty affable. That said, Prince Harry can often be caught looking sour, if just because he really dislikes the media and doesn't like being photographed. Queen Elizabeth can also have some harsh looks, and Prince Charles is good for a frown or two.
We've rounded up 22 times when it looked like members of the royal family were totally miffed, but keep in mind that context is everything. What looks like a furious Duke of Cambridge may really just be him furiously cheering on marathon runners. A photo may be worth a thousand words, but it still doesn't tell the whole story.
The Queen Chides William
During one of the annual Trooping the Colour ceremonies — which honor the Queen's birthday — the monarch got mad at grandson William for not observing proper protocol. William had bent down to engage with his son Prince George, and the Queen quickly chided him to stand back up. The whole uncomfortable moment was caught on video.
Kate Leans Away From William
This was the shrug that launched a thousand theories. In 2019, rumors circulated that William had allegedly cheated on Kate. So when the Duchess of Cambridge was captured on camera seemingly shaking William's hand off her shoulder, everyone worried that the couple was on the rocks. But they seem to be doing just fine today, so maybe this was just a rare disagreement.
Meghan Annoyed With Photographers
During the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's farewell tour, Meghan was caught giving this face to some paparazzi taking photos through the car window. Some thought that maybe Meghan was making that face at Harry, but it seems more likely that she was just annoyed with the photographers. After all, neither Meghan — nor Harry — is fond of the British press.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
Kate Rolls Her Eyes
Kate wasn't having that famous New York attitude when she visited the city a few years ago. The Duchess of Cambridge was at an event where she was helping wrap gifts, and she briefly stopped to chat to some people. Someone else piped up (seemingly in jest), "keep wrapping," and Kate rolled her eyes in response. But she did indeed return to wrapping.
When Trump Walked in Front of the Queen
Former US President Donald Trump majorly broke protocol when he kept walking in front of the Queen during his visit to England. She looked so miffed that she had to keep stepping out of his literal shadow. He did it at least twice, and the monarch did not seem happy about it. Protocol is important to the Queen, and Donald's actions were a big slight.
Icy Reunion
The Commonwealth Day celebration of early 2020 was the last time that William, Harry, Kate, and Meghan saw each other in an official capacity. Their reunion could not have been more awkward. Meghan and Harry had recently announced they were stepping down from royal duties, and William and Kate were having to do more to cover the slack. As a result, none of them looked happy to see one another.
Princess Charlotte's Meltdown
Princess Charlotte may be royal, but that doesn't mean she's not also just a regular kid. In 2017, when she was just 2 years old, she had a meltdown at the airport in Germany. Kate didn't seem thrilled that her daughter was throwing a tantrum in front of the press, and quickly tried to resolve the situation. We all have our bad days, and this was certainly theirs.
Kate Scolding George
Kate has never been afraid to discipline in public, including at sister Pippa Middleton's wedding. Both George and Charlotte were in the bridal party, and their mom wanted to make sure they behaved. When George started acting up, Kate quickly scolded him. Cameras or no cameras, he was not about to ruin Pippa's big day.
Harry Gets Mad at a Photographer
On a visit to Morocco, Harry and Meghan met with children presenting their local cuisine. Harry became angered when one of the cameramen accidentally knocked into one of the children. Prince Harry let his feelings be known, shoving the camera away and comforting the child in question. Harry is sensitive about how members of the press treat people, so his actions make complete sense.
Watching Wimbledon
Both William and Kate are avid tennis fans, and they take Wimbledon extremely seriously. Some of the duchess's most hilarious facial expressions come from when she's watching the tennis tournament. During this particular match, their player must have been losing, because both William and Kate look so annoyed. Better luck next time!
Charlotte Had Enough of the Press
Being followed by photographers all the time likely wears on a young child, so Charlotte gave the press a piece of her mind at a sailing event. Kate had been trying to get Charlotte to wave to the cameras, but instead, Charlotte stuck out her tongue. Kate couldn't help but laugh at her spirited daughter's reaction.
Meghan Addresses Criticism
From the moment she started dating Harry, Meghan faced intense scrutiny not only from fans and the press, but reportedly, even from Harry's own family. In an emotional interview, Meghan addressed what it was like to be a new mom and face so much criticism. She looked on the verge of tears, but also angry that people weren't considering her feelings more.
George Is Not Impressed
It's the face that launched a thousand memes. When the Cambridge family touched down in New Zealand for George's first royal tour in 2014, George had the most hilarious grumpy expression. Soon, "not impressed Prince George" was a viral meme. Babies make all kinds of funny faces, but this was one of George's very best.
The Queen's Frown
Perhaps George learned his frown from his great-grandma? This image was snapped at the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympics. England was hosting the event, but the Queen looked less than thrilled. Rather than her actually being upset, her face may just look that way when she's not smiling, but it still sparked many memes that day.
A Tiff Between Harry & Meghan
Some lip-readers have claimed that in this video, Harry tells Meghan to "turn around" and watch the Trooping the Colour. Meghan — who had been chatting with her husband — turns around a little dejected-looking, causing some fans to worry that they were fighting. Harry could have also just been telling her that the event was starting or maybe the lip-readers got it wrong.
Watch the video to judge.
Meghan & Kate at Odds
They might be sisters-in-law, but there have long been rumors of a rift between Meghan and Kate. They are two different people from different worlds, so it would be understandable if they weren't instant best friends — especially now that Meghan has left Kate with a lot of the royal work. This photo, in particular, seems to show some tension.
Marriage on the Rocks
Prince Charles and Princess Diana's marriage was notoriously strained, with the duo eventually separating in 1992. But things were bad long before that, and many of the photos of them together show this rift. In this picture from 1991, Diana looks up unhappily, while Charles frowns and looks down. It just shows how not on the same page they were.
Kate & William Look Worlds Apart
If Charles and Diana's photos showed the cracks in their marriage, we hope this photo was just a one-off for Kate and William. They're at Royal Ascot in 2017, and they both seem a little annoyed since they're looking in different directions without smiling. Perhaps the camera just caught them at the wrong moment, because today, the couple seems better than ever.
William Shouting
This picture was taken during a marathon, so it's likely that William was just shouting words of encouragement to the runners, and the cameras caught it without the context. But he looks absolutely terrifying, doesn't he? If this is what he looks like when he's happy yelling, we definitely wouldn't ever want to see his mad yelling.
Meghan & Harry vs. the Paparazzi
Now that Meghan and Harry live in California, they have the American press to contend with. Harry already hated photographers, and the celebrity paparazzi in Hollywood are some of the most difficult to deal with. Though both Meghan and Harry are wearing masks here, we can see they're not thrilled that the cameras found them. Harry, in particular, looks the most upset.
William & Harry's Reunion
During certain moments of their appearance at the unveiling of Princess Diana's statue in 2021, Harry and William looked like they'd rather be anywhere else. Of course, this was to be expected; they hadn't exactly been on good terms and had rarely seen each other in person in the time since Harry and Meghan had announced they were permanently stepping away from their senior royal roles.
Prince Louis Sitting Still Too Long
No one can deny that Prince Louis totally stole the show during the events of the Platinum Jubilee in 2022. It's hard to expect a child of his age to sit still for that long, so his behavior wasn't too surprising — especially since he wasn't afraid to let it show how totally over the whole thing he was!
