When it comes to the Royal Family, it's fair to assume that everyone has found their Prince Charming or perfect Queen.
From Prince William and Kate Middleton's swoon-worthy story to Harry and Meghan's love-will-conquer-all adventure, their romances verge on the fairy tale.
But that doesn't mean that there haven't been other crushes along the way. From celebrities letting slip their dreams of marrying a real life prince to rumored royal crushes, this is an insight into romances that might've been...
Celebrities with royal crushes, and who unlikely royal crushes
King Charles and Barbra Streisand
With a world-class voice, a stellar film career and a glamorous image she's cultivated over the years, many people have fallen under the spell of Barbra Streisand - and that includes a king.
King Charles, in his younger years, was reportedly rather smitten with the multi-talented icon. Per The Times, Charles reportedly thought of Barbra, "I have always been a great admirer of the incredibly versatile American actress and singer Barbra Streisand."
After getting to meet her for the first time on the set of Funny Lady, he reportedly added, "I shall never forget her dazzling, effervescent talent and the unique vitality and attraction of her voice and her acting ability."
In her 2023 memoir, My Name is Barbra, she recalled the then-prince as "warm and friendly", before joking, "Who knows? If I had been nicer to him, I could have been the first real Jewish princess!"
Princess Diana's crush on Kevin Costner
In an interview with People, Kevin Costner revealed that Prince William let slip that his mom, Princess Diana, "kind of fancied" the Dances with Wolves actor.
In the interview, he shared, "I happened to be in England, and I got this message that [William] would love to talk, and I said, 'What?'"
"We met in this room, and it was just us. He walked up, and we shook hands. The first line out of his mouth was, 'You know, my mom kind of fancied you.'"
Even more surprisingly, Kevin and Diana were in talks to star together in a sequel to The Bodyguard, the romantic movie in which Kevin originally starred alongside Whitney Houston.
Kate Middleton's teen crush (and no, it wasn't William)
There was something of a long-held rumor that, as a teen, Kate Middleton harbored a crush on her future husband, Prince William.
Well, the Princess of Wales put an end to that during their 2010 interview following their engagement announcement. When probed about this rumor, Kate shared that she actually had a poster of the Levi's Guy on her wall.
When asked if it was William on her wall, Kate told ITV's Tom Bradby, "He wishes. No, I had the Levi’s guy on my wall, not a picture of William, sorry." William joked, "It was me in Levi’s honestly."
It's thought that the poster in question would've been Nick Kamen's iconic Levi's campaign from the late 1980s, which saw the actor stripping off in a laundrette.
Prince Harry could have been Courteney Cox's 'Chandler'
In his memoir, Spare, Prince Harry proved that he was just like the rest of us - and is a massive fan of Friends.
Sharing that he watched every episode (relatable), he also revealed he had stayed at Courteney Cox's house - less relatable.
He also added that he had quite the crush on the actress, writing, "She was Monica. And I was a Chandler. I wondered if I'd ever work up the courage to tell her. Was there enough tequila in California to get me that brave?"
Kate Middleton's Hollywood crush
According to Katie Nicholl's book, The Future Queen, she writes that a young Kate Middleton had quite the crush on Hollywood star Tom Cruise.
The royal author writes that, at one point, Kate's "favorite film" was Cruise's Cocktail, which might have ignited the crush.
Decades later, Tom Cruise would forge a close bond with the Prince and Princess of Wales, appearing together for the London premiere of his film, Top Gun: Maverick.
Of his friendship with the royals, Tom was quoted as saying of William, "We have a lot in common. We both love England, and we're both aviators, we both love flying."
Emma Watson charmed by Prince William
There were no love potions needed for Harry Potter star Emma Watson to swoon over Prince William.
When she appeared on Live with Regis and Kelly in 2001, the actress shared she had a "little bit" of a crush on Prince William.
After Regis referred to William as a "dude", Emma replied, "He's not really a dude. Brad Pitt's a dude, but William is pretty."
Kate's first childhood crush became famous
As a schoolgirl, it's been rumored that Kate Middleton had a crush on classmate Andrew Alexander. Sadly for the future queen, Andrew took a liking to one of Kate's friends instead.
Still, it seemed to work out well for both of them.
Kate, well, we know what happened to her. As for Andrew, he has starred in the likes of Downton Abbey and sang with the band, Teatro.
Confirming their past, he told The Express, "It was funny because it was passed on to me, as happens at school, that Catherine liked me. She never told me that herself, she didn't have the confidence."
Emmy Rossum wrote fan-fiction about Prince Harry
Shameless actress Emmy Rossum didn't just admit to having a crush on Prince Harry, she revealed she went as far as writing full-blown fan-fiction.
During an appearance on Conan O'Brien's chatshow in 2012, she shared that she would write stories in her diary when she was younger imagining Harry as her husband.
She joked, "I like a ginger" and adding she liked Harry because "He's the bad boy."
Princess Diana's young crush on Prince Charles
It might not have ended with happily-ever-after, but there's still something of a fairy tale about the fact that Princess Diana ended up married to the prince she reportedly had a crush on when she was younger.
An ITV documentary, aired in the UK ahead of Princess Diana's 60th birthday, featured the claim that Diana had pictures of Prince Charles on her bedside table at her boarding school.
Diana's cousin and school friend, Diana McFarlane, shared this insight, calling it "a sort of childhood crush really."
A young Queen Elizabeth’s first crush turned into a fairy tale romance
Their marriage would be the stuff of legend, together through historic moments for over 70 years. And, if rumors are to be believed, it all started with a love-at-first-sight moment when a 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth first laid eyes on Prince Philip.
Royal author Ingrid Seward told US Weekly of the first meeting, "She was 13... Philip was 18 and he was a Naval cadet. He was about to leave Dartmouth Naval College and actually go to sea with a war looming. So he was very much more sophisticated than her, and I think he was rather flattered these two little princesses - because [her sister, Princess] Margaret, was there too - sort of had a crush on him."
Paul McCartney's crush on Queen Elizabeth II
In his book, The Lyrics, Beatles legend Paul McCartney revealed that, despite his rebellious ways in the 60s, he was still taken by the prim and proper Queen Elizabeth II in her youth.
He wrote, "She was a good-looking woman, like a Hollywood film star. I think part of the secret behind her popularity, at least for my generation, was that she was quite a babe. In our boyish ways, we rather fancied her."
Harry Hill's admiration for Princess Anne
British comedian and chat show host, Harry Hill, shared his admiration for Princess Anne in a 2024 interview.
Revealing just why he admires the Princess Royal so much, he alluded to her famed straightforward attitude and work ethics. He said, "She fought off being kidnapped and she’s kind of no-nonsense. You don’t feel you have to make a big fuss of Princess Anne. Plus, obviously, she’s loaded so she'd keep you in your dotage."
Adele could have been writing songs about Prince Harry
Celebrated for her searing ballads and moving songs about love and loss, we can only imagine what new heights Adele's music would've taken if she were ever writing about Prince Harry.
In a 2011 interview with Glamour, the Grammy-winning superstar confessed to crushing on Prince Harry so much that she'd break one of her dating rules for him.
She quipped, "I'm after Prince Harry. I know I said I wouldn't go out with a ginger, but it's Prince Harry! I'd be a real duchess then."
Britney Spears was once emailing Prince William
Can you picture it? The Pop Princess with the Prince of Wales. Well, it could've been a thing.
Back in 2002, Britney told British talk show host Frank Skinner that she had been communicating with Prince William over email. Apparently, the two had even planned to meet when Britney was touring the UK.
Alas, the Oops! I Did It Again singer added, "We exchanged e-mails for a little bit and he was supposed to come and see me somewhere but it didn't work out."
Isabella Calthorpe was reportedly on William's radar
Many royal fans will remember the time Prince William and Kate Middleton briefly split in 2007. It was obviously a short-lived thing, and the pair have been happily married since 2010.
However, in Robert Jobson's book, Catherine, The Princess of Wales: The Biography, the author suggests William had "his head turned" by another woman during that brief split.
Actress and socialite Isabella Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe became something of a crush for the future king, and Jobson wrote, "Despite being single at the time of William and Catherine's break-up, Isabella was apparently unkeen on becoming a royal girlfriend, feeling it would limit her career prospects as an actress. This did not cool William's ardour: he reportedly tried to woo Isabella, visiting her several times at her family home."
Isabella would go on to marry Sam Branson, the son of Sir Richard Branson.
Rita Ora's crush on Harry
Singer Rita Ora has shared her admiration for Prince Harry in the past, even joking that she saw him as "her" prince as his relationship with Meghan Markle first started to heat up.
Per HELLO! , during an appearance on the Wendy William Show, Rita was asked, "Are you wild about Harry?" to which she replied, "I am. Who isn't!"
She then jokingly pretended not to accept Harry's relationship with Meghan, adding, "I don't know. I still don't know if I believe [that they are in a relationship]. I don't know! Look I know my Prince, alright! And I know my Prince really well. In my dreams, I don't think it works out."
Paris Hilton thinks William is "hot"
Coming from a famous dynasty herself, Paris Hilton might have fit right in with the royals - and in 2004, she reportedly called Prince William "hot."
Not only that, the reality TV icon had some fighting words for apparent love rival Kate Middleton. Per Vanity Fair, Paris added, "I'd be more than happy to date William - so long as he ditches the mousy girlfriend. I couldn't believe it when I met him. He was awesome and really hot."
Now, now, Paris.
Miranda Kerr's crush on William
When it came to the future king, Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr thought 'kerr, blimey.'
In a 2009 interview with Fox News, the former Victoria's Secret Angel revealed, "I've always had a big crush on Prince William since I was a little girl."
Katy Perry felt Fireworks with Prince Harry
One of her hit songs might have been called Hot'n'Cold, but Katy Perry revealed it was just the hots she had for Prince Harry.
During an appearance on the British chat show, The Graham Norton Show, she teased whether she'd been asked to perform at the Queen's Jubilee.
Playing coy, she joked around about Harry, saying, "He's a hot ginger, isn't he?" When she learned that fellow guest Cheryl Cole also had a crush on him, Katy joked, "Get off my man!"
Miles Teller develops a man-crush
A different kind of crush now, but actor Miles Teller found himself overcome by the royal charm when he met Prince William.
The Top Gun: Maverick actor told Jimmy Fallon of the meeting, "You're not supposed to, like, extend your hand right off the bat. But I felt the vibe, so I was like 'I'm going in, I'm going in,' and to their credit they were very disarming."
As Jimmy Fallon showed the audience a photo of Miles Teller with William, the actor joked, "Right there I'm honestly lost in Prince William's eyes."
"His eyes? I mean, blue as the bluest ocean, Jimmy," he said. "What do you want? Bora Bora."
Sarah Ferguson had a crush on JFK Jr
The son of JFK and Jackie Kennedy, JFK Jr, sometimes known as John-John, was widely considered to be one of the most eligible and sought-after bachelors in the world during the early 90s.
His story was as dramatic as his father's, with the handsome heir and his love, Carolyn Bessette, tragically dying in a plane crash in 1999.
Before all of that, though, it is alleged in a new book, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, that Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, was "furious" that Princess Diana met him before her, even labelling him "mine."
Jack Whitehall's crush on Kate
During the 2014 Royal Variety Performance, British comedian and actor Jack Whitehall revealed how he and the Princess of Wales both attended Marlborough College as teens.
And, Jack paid attention to the young Kate.
"I don't know whether it's appropriate given the circumstances, but you were probably my first ever crush," Jack said during the show, adding, "Okay, definitely inappropriate. Your Highness [Prince William] is giving me a very sharp look."
Hilary Duff is a big fan of Harry
When she appeared on an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2016, Disney queen Hilary Duff found herself playing a game where she had to choose who she'd swipe for in a series of famous men.
Despite the game seemingly coming as a surprise to the Lizzie McGuire star, Hilary chose Prince Harry over every single man who appeared on screen.
Cheryl Cole shared what she likes about Prince Harry
Speaking to British GQ in 2012, Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole shared she had something of a crush on Prince Harry.
She said, "I think you can relate to him because he's made mistakes."
In a separate interview with Marie Claire, she also revealed, "I had a dream last night that I married him and was a real-life princess."
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was "obsessed" with Harry
Model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley revealed she had a huge crush on Prince Harry back in 2011.
Per The Daily Mail, she told Live with Regis and Kelly, "I think he knows how obsessed I am. Well, he does now."
Jokingly, she said, "I'm waiting for my proposal. I keep writing." She was, of course, dating her now-husband, Jason Statham, at the time, but trying to get a royal title is always worth a shot.
Prince Harry had a crush on a US actress...
According to royal commentator Katie Nicholl for a Channel 4 documentary in the UK titled When Harry Met Meghan: A Royal Romance, two years before they had their first date, Harry allegedly revealed Meghan Markle was his "ideal woman."
Harry reportedly first laid eyes on Meghan and developed a crush watching her play her role on the legal drama Suits.
King Charles and Joan Collins
With her trademark Old Hollywood glamour, the fact that she dominated the 1980s with her powerful role in Dynasty and her timeless beauty, Joan Collins was an obvious choice for many people to have a crush on.
And, according to rumors, King Charles was besotted with the legendary actress. According to Christopher Andersen's book, The King: The Life of Charles III, Charles wrote in a letter, "She was very amusing and with an unbelievable cleavage! All raised up and presented as if on a tray!"
Manners, Your Majesty.
Prince Harry's teen crush is revealed in a photoshoot
In 2003, Prince Harry took part in a photoshoot documenting the young royal's life at Eton College.
In these photos, Harry was seen doing some classic student things, but eagle-eyed fans spotted an ode to Halle Berry hung up on his wall. One person who noticed? Halle herself.
In 2018, she tweeted a photo of Harry's shoot and captioned it, "Ok Prince Harry, I see you! #HalleBerryPosta"
Meryl Streep wanted to marry Charles
She's acting royalty, but Devil Wears Prada legend Meryl Streep once had dreams of being British royalty.
Speaking to The Daily Mail back in 2009, Meryl, who has continued a close relationship with the King through his charities, revealed, "When I was a kid, I wanted to be a princess and marry Prince Charles. When I met him I told him about it and said I was sorry it didn't work out between us. But I'm not really sorry."
Emma Thompson's saucy admission
Dame Emma Thompson is never one to hold her tongue, so her gushing admission about King Charles might have swapped a royal crush for a royal blush. She spoke giddily about her experience of dancing with the then-prince to Time, and joked about trying to have a 'rude' relationship with him.
Per Vanity Fair, the Oscar-winning actress said, "There's a long history of relationships between Princes of Wales and actors - not just actresses, not just the rude relationships as he would say, though God knows I've tried. He wasn't having any of it.|
Camilla Luddington, who once played Kate, tried to really follow in her footsteps
Camilla Luddington played Kate Middleton in the 2011 Lifetime movie, William & Kate, and she's confessed that getting into the role of the Princess of Wales wasn't exactly hard for her.
Revealing she had a crush on William, Camilla told The Mirror that she would find herself hoping to bump into him while hanging out around Eton College.
"I'd put on eyeshadow and pray to see him, but I never did," she said.
Princess Diana helped her teenage son's meet some supermodels
In season six of The Crown, Cindy Crawford (and some of her supermodel friends) had something of a cameo - and it was based on truth.
In the Netflix series, Prince Philip bonds with William over posters on his bedroom wall of the 90s supermodels, and Cindy has shared that Princess Diana really did reach out to her to visit her and her sons in Kensington Palace.
She wrote on Instagram, "A little cameo on @thecrownnetflix. I still vividly remember visiting Kensington Palace to meet Diana and a teenage William (who had just discovered the 'Super Models')."
Cool mom moment.
