Royals at movie premieres

By Bryanne Salazar 7:43am PDT, Oct 30, 2019

Royals like going to the cinema just like everyone else! Join Wonderwall.com as we look back to see members of Britain's royal family at film premieres… starting with Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan's first movie premiere as a couple on July 12, 2019, when they hit the red carpet for the London debut of Disney's "The Lion King" remake. The new parents' date night happened just six days after their young son Archie was christened at Windsor Castle. For the special night, the pair — who met up with Beyonce and JAY-Z as well as family friend Elton John at the event — looked glamorous, with Harry in a tuxedo and Meghan in a black tea-length flared dress by Jason Wu. Keep reading for more royal movie premiere moments…

Following their 2011 wedding, newlyweds Prince William and Duchess Kate made their movie premiere debut at the London opening of the drama "War Horse" on Jan. 8, 2012. Will was an absolute gentleman to carry an umbrella over his wife's head as they made their way down the red carpet in the rain.

Prince Harry and Prince William's mom, Princess Diana, was no stranger to flashy premieres. In this June 24, 1981, picture, Lady Diana Spencer — who was one month away from marrying Prince Charles — is seen arriving for the London debut of the James Bond film "For Your Eyes Only." She looked exuberant and youthful in a red sequined spaghetti-strap gown and gorgeous ruby, diamond and gold jewelry.

Even as far back as 1946, British royals were getting dolled up to catch a show. In this historic pic, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother can be seen descending the stairs of the Empire Cinema in London with her family including husband King George VI and daughters Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret following behind her. The family had just finished watching the premiere of the fantasy romance "A Matter of Life and Death" starring David Niven and Kim Hunter.

Prince Charles brought his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall along to the London premiere of "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" on Feb. 17, 2015. The film, about a group of adventurous British seniors who retire in India, might have given the royal couple a bit of inspiration if it weren't for Charles being next in line for the throne.

This stunning picture of Queen Elizabeth II was taken on Oct. 26, 1953, less than five months after her coronation. The 27-year-old monarch — who was already a mother of two — looked positively radiant at the London premiere of the biographical adventure "Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue."

Duchess Kate looked smitten with a kitten in this adorable photo. Kate was giving a friendly scratch to Bob the cat while attending the London premiere of the film "A Street Cat Named Bob" on Nov. 3, 2016.

Lucky sisters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice not only attended the London film premiere of "The Aviator" — they also got to meet the movie's lead actor. In this Dec. 19, 2004, pic the royal siblings are seen posing alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, totally pretending like they're not freaking out with delight inside.

Prince William and Prince Harry made small talk with BB-8 during a brothers' night out at the London premiere of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" on Dec. 12, 2017. In addition to their elite security team, the young royals were also kept safe by the Storm Troopers guarding the entrance.

We can't get over this incredible photo of a young Queen Elizabeth II shaking hands with Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe, who respectfully curtsied while greeting Her Majesty. The ladies, who were both 30 at the time, met at the London film premiere of "Battle of the River Plate" on Oct. 29, 1956. Marilyn wasn't in the film — she'd been in London shooting "The Prince and the Showgirl" and simply attended as a guest with her then-husband, playwright Arthur Miller.

Bring the tissues! In this tender April 1992 picture, Princess Diana is seen guiding her young sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, toward the theater during the London premiere of "Hook." At the time, William would have been 10 and Harry just 8. The movie starred Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams in a modern retelling of the popular tale of Peter Pan.

We love the delighted look on Queen Elizabeth II's face as she holds hands with her daughter, Princess Anne, at the London premiere of "Murder on the Orient Express" on Nov. 24, 1974. While the royals — who were both dressed in stunning shades of blue silk — shared a moment, Prince Philip happily lingered in the background.

Another royal mom who took her kids to the movies was Sarah, Duchess of York, who brought her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, to the London premiere of "Anastasia" on March 26, 1998. Notice how Beatrice and Eugenie were totally matching in their adorable metallic green skirts and velvety black tops.

Before they grew into husbands and fathers, Prince Harry and Prince William were merely two brothers (albeit famous ones) eager to catch an action flick. The royal siblings are seen in this Oct. 29, 2008, photo at the London premiere of the James Bond flick "Quantum of Solace" starring Daniel Craig.

Of course, the young princes aren't the only ones who love a James Bond movie. Dad Prince Charles and his wife, Duchess Camilla, are seen here on the red carpet at the world premiere of "Skyfall" on Oct. 23, 2012. Is it just us or does Charles look like he's flexing a little 007 style?

It turns out that the queen loves an action-packed spy drama too. Queen Elizabeth II was all smiles on the red carpet at the Nov. 14, 2006, premiere of "Casino Royale" in London — Daniel Craig's first foray as James Bond.

Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister, loved going to film premieres. In this May 29, 1958 photo, Margaret is seen shaking hands with Italian film star Sophia Loren at the London debut of her romantic war drama "The Key."

In this December 1984 picture, Princess Anne, Princess Diana and the Queen Mother are seen sharing a moment of laughter before the London premiere of "A Passage to India." The Windsor women — who looked dressed for a pageant rather than a movie — were clearly enjoying the floral bouquets they received at the premiere.

Prince Harry, Prince William and their dad, Prince Charles, attended the Dec. 15, 1997, London premiere of "Spice World" — a movie starring the Spice Girls that debuted just three and a half months after the death of their mom, Princess Diana. Knowing the young princes were still mourning makes it even sweeter that their dad decided to take them out to see the beautiful pop stars, whom they'd previously met.

Poor Prince Harry! In this Oct. 26, 2015, photo, he looks a bit like a third wheel as he follows behind Duchess Kate and Prince William as they arrive for the London premiere of the James Bond flick "Spectre."

A newly married Princess Eugenie struck out on her own for the London premiere of the documentary "Sharkwater Extinction" on Dec. 18, 2018. Wearing a black midi-length dress and a red satin duster by Galvan, Eugenie looked stylishly sleek while shining a light on illegal shark finning.

Someone who knew a thing or two about flying solo at film premieres was Princess Diana. In this Nov. 30, 1989, picture, Diana shined on the red carpet at the premiere of "When Harry Met Sally" in a stunning red gown with silver striping details. Billy Crystal, one of the film's stars, later shared that Diana sat next to him in the theater and laughed with sheer delight throughout the movie. She also hobnobbed with the film's other big star, Meg Ryan.

It was a boys' night out for Prince William, Prince Charles and Prince Harry — who were joined by English broadcaster and ecological conservationist Sir David Attenborough — at the London premier of the eight-part Netflix series "Our Planet" in London on April 4, 2019. Although it wasn't technically a movie premiere, the series' debut was still a star-studded event with plenty of British celebs in attendance including Ellie Goulding, David Beckham, Brooklyn Beckham and more.

Duchess Kate and Prince William walked the red carpet at the London premiere of "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" in London on Dec. 5, 2013. The movie starring Idris Elba was a rare date night for the new parents, who'd welcomed their first child, Prince George, less than five months earlier.

We wouldn't peg Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip as comedy lovers but it turns out they like a good laugh as much as anyone. In this Nov. 17, 2009, photo, the monarch and her husband are seen heading into the Odeon Leicester Square theater in London to watch the debut of "A Bunch of Amateurs" starring the late Burt Reynolds.