You need only glance at the best royal moments in the snow to know that this is a family that loves winter fun of all kinds. From skiing down the mountains and sledding off-piste to throwing snowballs and riding on snowmobiles, they have passed a passion for cold-weather activities down through the generations.
While their palaces at home may receive snowfall only occasionally - which the late Queen Elizabeth made the most of with picturesque horse rides - the royals have often jetted off to some of the world's most exclusive slopes. It is upon these that the more senior royals like Prince Charles and Princess Diana would show off their skills, and teach their young sons how to follow in their tracks.
For some family members, jetting off to a real-life winter wonderland is particularly meaningful. Prince William and Kate Middleton first confirmed their romance with a kiss on the cheek during a Klosters ski trip, while the Yorks were regulars at their Verbier chalet and the Sussexes launched their 2025 Invictus Games in the resort of Whistler. Strap in for some family fun...
Best royal moments in the snow
1. Double-dating on the slopes
In 1987, the future King Charles and his then-wife Princess Diana enjoyed a ski holiday with Prince Andrew and his then-wife Sarah Ferguson. The two couples were pictured together before a day in the mountains in Klosters, Switzerland.
2. Wrapped-up for the Invictus Games
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made a trip to the Canadian ski resort of Whistler in British, Colombia in 2024 to launch the Invictus Games which will be held there in 2025. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex kept warm in style as they sweetly walked hand-in-hand through the snow.
3. Travelling off-piste by sled
Without a horse-drawn carriage in sight, it seems a young Princess Beatrice was happy to be pulled along off-piste by her mother Sarah Ferguson on a sled. The York family was on a ski trip to Klosters, Switzerland in 1991 - a year before the duchess split from Prince Andrew.
4. Love on the mountains
In 2006, Prince William and Kate Middleton were spotted kissing on the slopes of Klosters in Switzerland, which confirmed their blossoming romance to the world. Several years before their engagement, the pair were seen in 2008 riding a ski lift together in the same resort.
5. In pole position
Some of Prince Harry's formative snowy experiences were in Lech, Austria a resort which was beloved of Princess Diana. The future Duke of Sussex was pictured ready and eager for a ski lesson there in 1991.
6. On a wintery escape
In 1935, a year before King Edward VIII abdicated from the throne, he went on a skiing holiday to Tyrol, Italy with Wallis Simpson. He would eventually step down from duties in order to marry the American divorcée and move with her to France.
7. Braving new wintery pursuits
While Prince Harry may be used to strapping on a pair ski boots when surrounded by snow, he tried his hand at another cold-weather activity while at Canada's Whistler resort in 2024. The duke took part in the fast-paced 'skeleton', watched by Meghan Markle, which will be one of the events at his Invictus Games 2025.
8. Catch-ups in the cold
While Princess Diana had married into the royal family in 1981, her friend Sarah Ferguson - who married Prince Andrews two years previously - was still a relative newcomer when the pair visited Klosters, Switzerland in 1988. They were seen chatting on the slopes during a day of skiing.
9. Romantic mountain getaway
It can be hard to look stylish in ski gear, but the slopes provided the backdrop to some of Princess Diana's best fashion moments. She matched her headband with a red ski suit while skiing with then-husband Prince Charles at Klosters, Switzerland in 1986.
10. Mother-daughter ski time
Sarah Ferguson was often seen on annual ski trips with her teenage daughters. This included in 2007, when she was pictured at Verbier, Switzerland in full gear with her eldest child Princess Beatrice.
11. Skiing with an audience
The royals were often surrounded by onlookers at various points during their ski expeditions. Princess Diana was photographed trying to get some momentum in her skis during a holiday to Malbun, Liechtenstein with then-husband Prince Charles in 1985.
12. Volunteering in the snow
While Prince Harry first became acquainted with snowy conditions on family holidays, he got stuck in while volunteering with the organisation Walking With The Wounded. The Duke of Sussex joined the military veterans' charity during an expedition in Spitsbergen, Norway in 2011.
13. Cozy with a view
Princess Margaret and her then-husband Anthony Armstrong-Jones may have been more used to vacationing in hot-weather destinations, but the couple seemed to enjoy their ride up a ski chairlift in 1965. They were visiting the Cairngorms in Scotland, close to Balmoral Castle.
14. Having a snowball fight
We're used to seeing Zara Tindall on horseback, however Princess Anne's daughter is also a fan of skiing too. The royal was seen having a snowball fight while attending the Chivas Snow Golf Championships near St Moritz, Switzerland in 2008.
15. Horse rides in the snow
The late Queen Elizabeth was known to ride horses throughout her life. She was pictured spending New Year in 1979 on a hack through Sandringham in Norfolk - which had been treated to a generous sprinkling of snow.
16. Wrapped-up for official duties
Prince William and Kate Middleton came suitably dressed for an official engagement in Oslo during a visit to Norway in 2018. The then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wrapped up warm in hats and gloves.
17. Learning the slopes
Mike and Zara Tindall are avid skiing fans and often take their children with them on trips. It seems Princess Anne's daughter first got the bug on holidays with her mother - including one to Morzine, France in 1989.
18. Suited and booted
The royals often participate in photocalls during their skiing holidays. Prince Charles, along with his sons Prince William and Prince Harry, looked ready for action on the slopes in Klosters, Switzerland in 1994.
19. A cool fashion statement
Princess Diana became known for her head-turning ski looks over the years. The royal mother-of-two hit the slopes of Lech, Austria in an eye-catching turquoise blue ensemble with her children in 1993.
20. Cousins having snow fun
The royals have often enjoyed ski trips together as a big extended family. This was the case in 1995 in Klosters, Switzerland when Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were all pictured together.
21. Style on the slopes
Princess Diana always ensured her ski looks were on point. In Lech, Austria in 1994 - two years after her separation from the then-Prince of Wales - she paired a red puffer jacket with classic black sunglasses.
22. Whizzing through the snow
As a change from skiing, Prince Charles looked delighted to be travelling by snowmobile during a tour of the Northwest Territories of Canada in 1975. He was hardly recognisable at the engagement in a furry hat and black sunglasses.
23. Quality time on the ski lift
Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex were seen catching up on a ski lift in St Moritz, Switzerland in 2003. The couple, who welcomed their first child Lady Louise Windsor later that year, were in town for The Alpine World Ski Championships.
24. Exploring the mountains
Ever the adventurer, Prince Philip tried his hand at skiing in Malbun, Liechtenstein in 1965. Queen Elizabeth's husband was seen walking through the village with their two eldest children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne.
25. Father-son bonding time
Prince Charles took Prince William and Prince Harry with him on a skiing holiday in 2000. The trio smiled as they prepared to hit the slopes for the day in Klosters, Switzerland.
26. Family winter wonderland
The Prince and Princess of Wales seem keen to pass their love of snowy holidays down to their children. In 2016, they headed to the French Alps with Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
27. High-vis day out
It was impossible to miss Sarah Ferguson and her young daughters during a ski trip in 1997. The trio shone bright in citrus-hued gear on the slopes in Verbier, Switzerland.
28. At great heights
During Prince William and Prince Harry's first-ever ski trip in 1991, they were seen riding a chairlift with their mother Princess Diana. The family was vacationing in Lech, Austria - which became her go-to snowy destination.
29. Sandringham white Christmas
On Christmas Day in 1985, much of the UK enjoyed a significant dusting of snow. This included at Sandringham, where the royal family headed out together for their traditional church service on the estate.
30. Travelling by snowmobile
When the skiing had got a bit too much, it seemed that Sarah Ferguson and her daughters - Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie - were glad to travel a different way through the snow. They hopped on a snowmobile in Verbier, Switzerland in 1999.
31. Ski lift smiles
In 1998, the year after Princess Diana tragically died, her youngest son Prince Harry spent time with family in Klosters, Switzerland. He was seen riding a ski lift with his cousin Zara Phillips.
32. Sunny ski day
In 1996, Prince Edward was in the middle of his courtship with Sophie Rhy-Jones - who would one day become Duchess of Edinburgh. Queen Elizabeth's youngest son hit the slopes on a particularly sunny day in St Moritz, where the couple would one day bring their children.
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