Royal life comes with a lot of stuffy obligations: meetings with dignitaries, memorizing etiquette rules that no other family on Earth has to follow, and living life under a microscope, just to name a few. But there are perks, and a major one has to be getting all glammed up to attend a movie premiere. It doesn't happen that often, but when the royals do get to hit the red carpet, it seems like they have a lot of fun — and of course, they always look good.
This week, the time finally came for Kate Middleton to pick out another gown to step out in. On Tuesday, she and Prince William (along with Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall) appeared at the London premiere of the latest James Bond flick, No Time To Die, which marks Daniel Craig's final film starring as the iconic 007.
As usual, the family delivered in the fashion department, but they've had some practice in this area before. Here are some of the royals' best red carpet moments — even including Queen Elizabeth's family's younger years.
'No Time To Die'
After a long year of lockdowns, it's clear that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were more than ready for a fancy night out because they brought their fashion A-game to the London premiere of No Time To Die. William looked dapper in a sleek black tux while Kate literally dazzled in a 1920s-inspired golden cape gown with a striking sequined starburst design. She definitely gave those Bond girls a serious run for their money!
'The Taming of the Shrew'
Back in 1967, Queen Elizabeth's sister, Princess Margaret, had the chance to rub elbows with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor at the premiere of their movie The Taming of the Shrew. And knowing fashion-loving Margaret, it's no surprise that she went all out. Look at that hair (and her tiara)!
'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'
A year later, Elizabeth's daughter, Princess Anne, got to walk the red carpet. Here, she's at the premiere of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with a rocking hairstyle that was pretty typical of the time period — along with that shiny satin dress with bell sleeves and gold detailing.
'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?'
Princess Diana may have gone to more movie premieres than any other royal, and she always dressed the part. She attended the London debut of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? in 1998, and even got to meet the star himself, from the looks of things.
'When Harry Met Sally'
Rom-com fans, this one's for you! Yes, not only was Diana lucky enough to attend the premiere of When Harry Met Sally, but she also got to meet Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, the stars of the movie — and Meg looks absolutely delighted to meet her.
'Steel Magnolias'
Another movie that Diana got to see at the premiere was Steel Magnolias, starring Julia Roberts — how cool is that? Here she is on the red carpet, wearing a very 1990 red velvet gown for the occasion. This is definitely her color!
'Hook'
Diana was also at the London premiere of Hook, and she even brought sons Prince William and Prince Harry along with her, which made sense, since they were definitely the movie's target audience at the time. She even got to meet Robin Williams — two legends in one photo.
'Spice World'
Anyone who was a preteen girl in the '90s has probably seen Spice World — the Spice Girls were all the rage back then. And now, we know that William and Harry saw the movie too … even if they did have to go with their dad to the premiere.
'Anastasia'
William and Harry weren't the only royal kids who got to hang out on the red carpet. In 1998, Sarah Ferguson took daughters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice to the premiere of Anastasia, a movie about a different royal family. They're so cute!
'The Grinch'
Even Queen Elizabeth likes to get out and have fun sometimes! Not only did she walk the red carpet at the premiere of the live-action version of The Grinch in 2000 and meet star Jim Carrey, but she also wore green to the event. What a very appropriate choice!
'Quantum of Solace'
As they got older, William and Harry started making royal appearances together without their parents, and that included movie premieres. They looked so happy to be walking the red carpet at the debut of Quantum of Solace, another movie in the blockbuster James Bond series.
'The Young Victoria'
Even as adults, it seems Beatrice and Eugenie couldn't turn down the opportunity to hit another red carpet with their mom. This time around, they stepped out to the premiere of The Young Victoria in Los Angeles. The 2009 movie features Emily Blunt in the title role.
'War Horse'
This photo was taken less than a year after William and Kate Middleton tied the knot — talk about a throwback! They attended the premiere of Steven Spielberg's War Horse in January 2012, and judging by William's expression in this photo, even though it was raining, they were pretty pumped to be there.
'The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'
It isn't often that we get to see Charles and Camilla out at events like these, but this photo is proof that it does happen. Here they are at the 2015 premiere of The Second Best Marigold Hotel, on a red carpet that was decorated to match the theme of the movie.
'Spectre'
Add another James Bond movie to the list for these royals! In October 2015, William and Kate walked the red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall for the premiere of Spectre, and as per usual, Kate really brought it. There's so much to love about her look here, from her hair to that flowy dress.
'A Street Cat Named Bob'
With Kate's confidence on the red carpet, it's no surprise that she felt free to fly solo when she attended the premiere of A Street Cat Named Bob in 2016. Her white gown was beautiful, and she even got to meet the feline star of the show.
'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'
It must be rare that William and Harry come face to face with a celebrity who is even more famous than they are, but when they ran into BB-8 on the red carpet of the premiere of The Last Jedi, they might have come close! This was a pretty adorable moment.
'The Lion King'
When Disney's live-action take on The Lion King premiered in 2019, Harry and Meghan Markle were on hand for the London event — even though the carpet was actually yellow instead of red. They got to meet stars of the movie, including Beyoncé, which is pretty cool.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
