Sure, their primary jobs are doing charity work, but whether they like it or not, a large part of said work for Kate Middleton and Prince William involves having their photo taken — like, a lot. Whether they’re simply doing a walkabout on Christmas at Sandringham, attending a sporting event such as Wimbledon, or traveling on an official royal tour, photographers follow the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge everywhere — so much so that the royal couple must sometimes forget that they’re being photographed. Most of the time, the two look camera ready, but once in a while, it seems as if they’re clueless to those photographers being around.
William and Kate always keep things professional, rarely getting too candid (unlike their more casual counterparts, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle), but it’s impossible to always stay “on” when you’re being photographed as much as William and Kate. Now and again, we catch a glimpse of the royal pair “breaking character” and, for better or worse, acting like a regular couple — and of course, this only makes us love them all the more.
We applaud William and Kate’s ability to stay so poised and professional so much of the time, but we also love it when we see their more human, sometimes downright silly sides. From borderline intimate moments to those times they just couldn’t stifle their laughter, here are the sweetest times William and Kate forgot the cameras were around.
Chatting It Up
If we swapped out William and Kate’s faces here, it would basically look like two seriously well-dressed people out for a casual stroll, no? We hope that, at least in this moment, they got to feel like that for a little while. Wonder what they were talking about?
Glam Vibes
Even though they’re walking the red carpet, it looks as if Kate completely forgot about the cameras and just wants to share a funny story with her husband. Then again, it’s not like this isn’t a regular evening for them both — they’re more than used to hitting the carpet together.
Is Anyone Else Even There?
Who cares? William and Kate are only aware of each other — and their drinks, of course. Given that William grew up skiing with his family on vacation and that these two have always been super active and ready for anything, we’re willing to bet this was a fun day for them.
Party Time
Before heading into the Diplomatic Reception in 2017, William and Kate looked like an average couple — who may or may not have just gotten into a fight — sitting in the back of a car. Even though said car was a Rolls-Royce. Same difference.
Sweet Nothings
Either William is about to whisper a sweet nothing into Kate’s ear or gossip about somebody. Either way, it’s on camera, even if neither of them realized it at the time. Hey, they’ve gotta pass the time during these royal outings somehow. Might as well share secrets!
Mocking Her Man
Kate isn’t above poking a little fun at her husband — even if her husband is destined to be crowned King of England someday. Sometimes you’ve just gotta mock your man for not being able to twist a pretzel properly. And sometimes it’s on camera.
Hug Break
Some of the sweetest photos of these two have been taken from behind, when they were in their own little world together. William and Kate didn’t seem to care about photographers getting a perfect shot. They just needed a moment together. That’s all that matters sometimes!
Dealing With the Kids
If this wasn’t a royal jet they were being photographed getting out of, we’d almost think this was any normal couple dealing with the stress of traveling with small children. William and Kate were definitely more in parent mode here than in royal mode.
What Cameras?
The duke and duchess only have eyes for each other, and this photo is proof of that. Regardless of what the tabloids might say, we’ve seen plenty of photographic evidence that they’re just as in love with each other as they always were — or they’re really good at faking it.
Again, Dealing With the Kids
Who has time to worry about the cameras when you’ve got potential tantrums on your hands? Sometimes they have to convince those kids to be nice while meeting new people, and we do not envy that. Fortunately, now that their kids are getting older, they should be at least a little bit easier to travel with.
Bahaha!
Kate couldn’t keep her poise when William put on a pair of virtual reality glasses. These days, they’re becoming more and more commonplace, but something tells us these two don’t exactly have all the time in the world to relax and play VR games.
Trooping the Colour 2017
When you’ve got two kids to deal with, who has time to worry about photographers aiming their lenses at the Buckingham Palace balcony? Of course, we know William and Kate know they’re on camera while they’re watching the flyover, but at the same time, they have to tend to their kids.
Rugby Match 1
Kate and William definitely forgot about — or weren’t aware of — photographers during a rugby match in 2017. They’ve always been super into sports and sporting events, so it doesn’t surprise us that their only focus here was on the game in front of them.
Rugby Match 2
Yeah, they definitely weren’t aware of photographers, but how cute is Kate Middleton?! Her putting her hands over her face in worry is too adorable — and we’ve gotta admit that we don’t hate the glasses on William, either! More moments like this, please.
‘Candid’ Photo
Whether this photo really is candid — or it’s “candid” — there’s no two ways about it. It’s perfect, especially with the Eiffel Tower in the background. We wonder if they decided to frame this one after they saw it — or at least save it to remember their travels by.
Parent Mode
Anytime we get a peek into what William and Kate’s parenting lives are like, we love it — including this moment they shared with a tiny Prince George and Princess Charlotte. When the little ones are around, it’s nearly impossible to pay attention to the cameras in your face.
Um, What?
When Kate and William were navigating a super narrow walkway during a 2016 visit to Canada, they definitely weren’t worried about the cameras. But not because they were loving their time together so much — more because they needed to be careful not to get hurt!
Laughs for Days
Not sure what’s going on here, but William and Kate certainly appear to be living in the moment. Whatever they’re doing seemed to require life jackets, and it definitely involved a little laughter. We need more details about what was going on behind the scenes here!
Stay Still, George
It looks like the main thing on both William and Kate’s minds here is keeping toddler George under control, which is why they’re both holding a hand. Listen, anyone who’s ever parented a kid this age has been there. George is just way better dressed than our kids ever were!
A Stolen Moment
This might be one of the sweetest moments we’ve gotten to witness between William and Kate out in public. Whether the cameras are around or not, sometimes they just need a moment to themselves — and good for them for making sure they take it.
An Adorable Prank
Just in case you didn’t know, Kate happens to have an excellent sense of humor — which was on full display during 2021’s COP26 royal reception. Kate presented William with a cup of larvae that was part of an exhibit at the event, resulting in this adorable photo.
Having Each Other’s Backs
At the 2021 Earthshot Awards, William and Kate were likely pretty busy as the hosts of the event, but not too busy to steal a sweet moment together. Photographers captured this rare moment of PDA, with William’s arm around his wife. So cute!
Sharing Smiles
While visiting a job center in the fall of 2020, William and Kate took a minute to look into each other’s eyes and share a smile. We’d love to know what these two were talking about when this photo was taken, but it’ll probably forever remain between them.
A Little Juggling
During a 2020 tour of Ireland, William didn’t hold back on showing everyone at the Galway Circus his juggling talents — and of course, Kate (who has probably seen him show off this skill before) looks so amused by him — and ready to catch any balls that he might drop.
A Night at the Theater
Every year, William and Kate attend the Royal Variety Performance, and they always dress to impress — even if they do forget they’re being photographed during the performance itself. These two are snuggled up in the balcony together like they’re the only ones in the room.
