The best candid pictures of the Prince and Princess of Wales having a great time together

The Prince and Princess of Wales aren't just man and wife - they're best friends who always have a fun time together

Two photos of Prince William and Kate Middleton
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Prince William and Princess Catherine are two of the most famous faces in the world - and as the future King and Queen, that's not going to change any time soon. 

This is why the couple always seem to enjoy a quiet moment together where they can just laugh and be silly. Some of the most romantic royal moments are when couples who are usually under the glare of the world share these little private jokes. 

Here, we look back at some of the most heartwarming photos of William and Kate enjoying each other's company.

32 candid pictures that show Prince William and Princess Catherine having a great time together

All smiles at Royal Ascot, 2022

Prince William and Kate Middleton

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Prince William and Kate Middleton had been married for 11 years by the time the summer of 2022 rolled around, but these two showed no signs of being anything other than smitten lovebirds. 

The Prince and Princess of Wales were caught having a fun date at the Royal Ascot, laughing away as they cheered on their horses. 

The Princess of Wales was wearing a white mid-length dress with brown polka dots by Alessandra Rich and a complementing hat by Sally-Ann Provan.

The Making of a Royal Romance by Katie Nicholl | £8.28 at Amazon
£8.88 at Amazon UK

The Making of a Royal Romance by Katie Nicholl | £8.28 at Amazon

Published in 2011, this provides a fascinating insight into the lives of Prince William and Kate. It reflects back on her childhood, her close family and her romance with the future King. The book goes up to the preparations for the couple's fairytale wedding and also focuses on their life in Wales together.

On your marks...

Prince William and Kate Middleton

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Well, that's one way of getting your significant other to be quiet...

Prince William joked around with Kate Middleton as the pair offered their support to those preparing for the 2017 London Marathon. 

Jokingly threatening his wife with one of the loud racing klaxons, Kate (luckily) saw the funny side.

Adrenaline junkies in their element

Prince William and Kate Middleton land yachting

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In 2021, Prince William and Kate Middleton were celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary, and the couple honoured the milestone with a poignant trip.

William and Kate were all smiles as they paid a trip back to St Andrews, where they first met at university. 

Revisiting the place where their love story started, the athletic couple celebrated with a bit of friendly competition - land yachting and racing across West Sands beach. 

Prince William cracks up a crowd

Prince William and Kate Middleton joke with community members

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The Prince and Princess of Wales marked the beginning of Black History Month with a special visit to a local community in Cardiff. 

During the visit, William had everyone - including his wife - cracking up by making the sort of joke you'd never expect from a future King. But it turns out he actually learnt his cheeky tip from the late Queen Elizabeth II. 

William stunned the group when he asked if someone "pinched my bottom" as they posed for a photo. It turns out that cracking an impromptu joke was something Her Majesty would often do to ensure everyone would get a happy, smiling photo. 

Dancing to the beat of their own drum

Prince William and Kate Middleton playing drums at the Caribbean

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Prince William and Kate Middleton had plenty of fun during an overseas tour of the Caribbean in 2022. 

The pair, who were representing Queen Elizabeth for her historic Platinum Jubilee year, got to let their hair down and get into the groove when they paid a visit to the Trench Town Culture Yard Museum, located in the town where legendary musician Bob Marley used to live. 

Feeling inspired, the pair laughed away as they played some drums and joined in the fun with local musicians.

A fun day out for the Paralympics

Prince William and Kate Middleton

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They were married just over a year when the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics came to London (marking the first time Great Britain had hosted the Games since 1948!), so Prince William and Kate Middleton had many reasons to be in good spirits. 

And indeed they were, with the happy couple riding high in honeymoon mode as they joked away, soaking up the feel-good atmosphere of England's capital during the historic Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

A hard day's work...

Prince William and Kate Middleton at a winery in New Zealand

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Perks of working life in the Royal Family means getting to visit a prestigious vineyard with your significant other during official tours. Tough life, but someone has to do it. 

Looking relaxed and sharing plenty of laughs during the visit to the Amisfield Winery and Bistro in Queenstown, New Zealand, Kate and Wills got to savour some of their most legendary wines, including a much-celebrated Pinot Noir. 

We'd be laughing too if this was our job!

Hey, Mister DJ

Prince William and Kate Middleton

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In 2014, Kate Middleton and Prince William contemplated what a life of raving could be like instead of royalty. 

The pair were touring Australia when they found themselves where perhaps no one ever expected to see the future King and Queen - in a DJ booth. 

Proving how up for a laugh they are, the royal couple were full of laughter as they turned their hands to spinning the decks. Something tells us a career change isn't on the horizon, though...

Bantering royals

Kate Middleton and Prince William joking around

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You can almost hear Prince William saying "Will you get a load of this one?" in this amusing photo of him and Kate Middleton enjoying some jokes and banter. 

The royal couple were visiting the University of Glasgow to talk about the mental health and wellbeing among stressed-out students when the funny encounter took place.

All hugs and huge smiles at the Olympics

Prince William and Kate Middleton

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It was nothing but big smiles and bigger hugs when the Prince and Princess of Wales got swept up in Olympics mania back in 2012. 

It makes sense that this would be an occasion where the normally reserved couple would let their hair down and enjoy some rare PDA - both of them are known to love their sports, and it was a historic moment for Great Britain to be hosting the Olympics. 

The excitement was hard to resist as they cheered on Team GB as they collected a Gold Medal in track cycling.

Busting a move

Prince William and Kate Middleton dancing in Tuvalu

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With a year's marriage under their belt in 2012, the romantic royal couple were still in honeymoon mode as they took a trip to Tuvalu (an island in the South Pacific) in honour of the Queen's Jubilee Tour.

Proving how much fun they have together, Prince William and Kate Middleton wasted no time in dancing free from the more reserved stereotype often given to the royal couple. 

Shimmying and shaking, Wills and Kate were both in hysterics as they busted some (questionable) moves with the locals. 

Friendly competition

Prince William and Kate Middleton

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The Prince and Princess of Wales are known to enjoy competition - especially against each other. And this came to light when the pair were caught in hysterics after a supposedly friendly race to launch a training session at the Olympic Park saw the pair charging down the track.

And their competitive nature hasn't eased up throughout their many years of marriage either. During a special taping of Mike Tindall's podcast, The Good, The Bad and the Rugby, Catherine admitted that she and William were still very competitive.

She said, "I don't think we've managed to finish a game of tennis, the two of us. It becomes a mental challenge."

William agreed that they try to "out mental" one another.

Happy smiles at Wimbledon

Kate Middleton and Prince William

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During a visit to Wimbledon in 2018 - where the tennis-mad Princess of Wales is a regular in the Royal Box - Kate brought the sunshine with a bold, bright Dolce and Gabbana dress. 

Equally warm and beaming was her smile, as she and Prince William enjoyed a carefree laugh and a sweet moment. 

They were probably making the most of a child-free day in the sun - which makes this a very relatable moment for parents everywhere.

Waving their wands

Kate Middleton and Prince William at the Warner Bros Studios tour

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Prince William and Kate Middleton proved they weren't too grown up to get swept up in a little magic as they toured the Warner Bros Studio Tour in 2013. 

A pregnant Kate - who was just a couple of months away from giving birth to their first child, Prince George - was all smiles as she and William waved their wands around and got into the spirit of the occasion. 

With such big grins, it's fair to say the pair were enchanted by the Harry Potter tour...

Happy moments with Harry

Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton

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The happy couple were joined by Prince Harry for the England versus Wales rugby match in 2015, and judging by everyone's huge smiles, it was a good day out. 

The trio are known to love rugby, and this must've been a fun match to watch together, what with William (as the pending Prince of Wales at the time) rooting on Wales and Harry no doubt supporting England. 

Kate Middleton eventually replaced Prince Harry as the Patron of the Rugby Football Union after Harry quit life as a working royal in 2020.

Laughing as they get their hands mucky

Kate Middleton and Prince William

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King Charles is famous for his love of gardening, and the majestic land at Highgrove Gardens attracts thousands of visitors each year.

However, it seems that those green fingers might not have passed down to Prince William. During a visit to The Way Youth Zone in Wolverhampton in 2021, Kate Middleton was in hysterics as her husband seemingly struggled with some gardening basics. 

Big smiles at Buckingham Palace

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton

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For the 100th birthday of the RAF (Royal Air Force) in 2018, the Royal Family were out in full force - and the men were kitted out in their military regalia. 

As a huge scale flypast soared over Buckingham Palace, royals including Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle delighted fans with another of the iconic balcony appearances

Even with all the excitement happening overhead - not to mention crowds of thousands looking on from the Mall - William and Kate managed to squeeze in a sweet moment of laughter together. 

Kate's prize doesn't impress William

Kate Middleton and Prince William

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Princess Catherine - known for her competitive nature - managed to find the funny in coming in last when her team crashed out at the King's Cup Race in 2019. 

At the sailing regatta, there was an added insult to injury as Kate had to accept a huge wooden spoon for her last-place finish... much to the amusement of Prince William. 

Not that the Prince of Wales fared much better - he came third. 

A different kind of royal headwear

Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry

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We've seen plenty of stunning tiara moments from Kate Middleton over the years, but in 2016, she donned a different kind of headwear for a special cause.

Joining forces with her husband, Prince William, and brother-in-law, Prince Harry, the trio sported matching headbands - plus matching smiles - for a campaign called Heads Together.

The important initiative worked in partnership with several other charities, in a bid to eliminate stigmas of mental health.

Puppy love

Kate Middleton holding a dog

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A very sweet moment as both Prince William and Kate Middleton couldn't contain their joy when meeting a bundle of cuteness. And who can blame them?

The royal couple got to meet a therapy puppy named Alfie during a visit to a hospital in Lancashire. 

We hope that this led to a conversation in the car back home about getting another dog for the family. The Wales family have a cocker spaniel named Orla but they could always make room for another...

A witty Wimbledon moment, 2021

Prince William and Kate Middleton at Wimbledon

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Whatever Prince William is saying here, Kate Middleton is clearly finding it hilarious. Now we have to know the joke!

The Prince and Princess of Wales were enjoying a bit of couple time as they caught the action at Wimbledon from the Royal Box. 

The couple are regulars at Wimbledon each year and have even started bringing Prince George and Princess Charlotte with them - when he's a bit older, no doubt we'll be getting some more scene-stealing moments from Prince Louis too!

Laughs and larvae

Kate Middleton joking around with Prince William

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The Prince and Princess of Wales mingled with leaders in the sustainability markets and finalists of William's Earthshot Prize during the COP26 summit in 2021. 

While they enjoyed discussing all things environmental, Kate took the opportunity to pull a little prank on her husband, offering him something to snack on - a jar of dead larvae normally used as livestock feed. 

We know that Kate is quite the avid baker and cook at home, but William probably gave this dish a pass.

Getting hands on in the kitchen

Prince William and Kate Middleton

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During their 2017 tour of Germany, William and Kate - once again - got a little competitive.

The royal pair were invited to take part in making a traditional treat. As they faced off hand-rolling pretzels, you could see the couple laughing away as they tried to outdo each other. 

Popping to the pub

Prince William watches Kate Middleton pull a pint

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Back when they were dating and living near Norfolk, Prince William and Kate Middleton were reportedly regulars at their local pub. So it must have been nice for the royal pair to get back to some low-key activities when they visited Northern Ireland in 2019. 

Only this time, they weren't customers. William laughed on as he watched his wife pull her best pint at the Empire Music Hall in Belfast. 

Pure joy as newlyweds

Prince William and Kate Middleton driving away on their wedding day

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The Royal Wedding in 2011 was one of the most anticipated events in modern history - and the royal couple didn't disappoint. 

Their nuptials were full of interesting facts, but one of the more sweet, candid moments saw the two of them have some time alone as they raced off in a stylish Aston Martin. 

The classic car - an iconic vehicle featured in James Bond - belonged to King Charles. 

As William lived out his 007 fantasies, the couple looked full of joy.

A St Patrick's Day laugh

Prince William and Kate Middleton

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When Prince William and Kate Middleton come together, they don't need the luck of the Irish to have a good time, but it certainly helped during the St. Patrick's Day Parade in 2023. 

Dressed appropriately in emerald green, it was the Princess of Wales' first St Patrick's parade since being made Colonel of the Irish Guards. 

Finding time for a giggle at the wedding

Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding

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You know a couple is meant to last when they could find time for an intimate, personal moment laughing together during something as daunting as their wedding... which was being watched by billions across the globe. 

During their wedding on April 29, 2011, Prince William and Kate Middleton - wearing her now iconic Alexander McQueen lacy wedding gown - enjoyed a sly little giggle as they took their vows in Westminster Abbey. 

Keeping warm with a big laugh

Two photos of Prince William and Kate Middleton laughing while in Sweden

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It was royals on ice when Prince William and Kate Middleton went on a tour of Sweden and Norway. 

The couple - bundled up and looking chic in the cold weather - were all smiles as they, once again, took part in a bit of friendly competition. 

The pair showcased their prowess on the ice as they skated across an outdoor rink in Stockholm, and later tried their hand at the local bandy hockey sport.

Archery antics in Bhutan

Two photos of Kate Middleton and Prince William using a bow and arrow

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Prince William and Kate Middleton tried their hand at Bhutan's national sport, archery, during a royal tour in 2016. 

Kitted out in traditional attire, the Princess of Wales loved trying out the traditional sport - and William was found laughing away too. Perhaps his was more nervous laughter though, considering his wife was reportedly quite a keen shot with the weapon.

A bit of fun competition

Prince William and Kate Middleton joking around

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Prince William and Princess Catherine turned a day out into some healthy competition during a visit to Ireland in 2020. 

The couple visited a sports club where they were introduced to sports including hurling and Gaelic football.

The fresh Irish air and competition brought out the best in them as they were all smiles and laughter. 

Spin class rivalry

Prince William and Kate Middleton on spin bikes

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No offence to the future King, but he was left in the pale when Kate Middleton showed him up during a hilarious impromptu spin class. 

The always-active Princess of Wales wasn't going to let something as silly as being dressed in a tight jumper and long skirt stop her from taking on her husband as they visited a leisure and fitness centre in Port Talbot in 2023. 

Proving that they're both stubborn and competitive, they couldn't resist giving it their all - but it was all in good spirits. 

Having a cute snowball fight

Two photos of Prince William and Kate Middleton having a snowball fight

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The Prince and Princes of Wales have enjoyed a fairy tale romance, but it's fair to say they aren't the most affectionate when out and about in public. 

So it was heart-warming to see them act silly with each other during a skiing trip in 2016, laughing and joking away as they indulged in a playful snowball fight. 

With the pure white snow and the stunning French Alps setting, it's no surprise the pair were all smiles. 

Jack Slater
Freelance writer

Jack Slater is not the Last Action Hero, but that's what comes up first when you Google him. Preferring a much more sedentary life, Jack gets his thrills by covering news, entertainment, celebrity, film and culture for woman&home, and other digital publications.

Having written for various print and online publications—ranging from national syndicates to niche magazines—Jack has written about nearly everything there is to write about, covering LGBTQ+ news, celebrity features, TV and film scoops, reviewing the latest theatre shows lighting up London’s West End and the most pressing of SEO based stories.