The defining royal moments of the 2010s, from the royal wedding to welcoming in the next generation

It seems that there's never really a quiet chapter in the history of the Royal Family, but even by their standards, some years are more momentous than others.

After the heartbreaks and turmoil from the memorable moments of the 90s, the 2010s saw plenty of change for the royals.

From royal weddings to new babies, the decade was the first step towards the next chapter of the monarchy.

The defining royal moments of the 2010s

William and Kate's royal wedding

Arguably the ultimate defining royal moment of the decade, and one of the biggest royal moments in modern history, the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton had the world transfixed on April 29, 2011.

A future king married his future queen in front of 2000 guests at Westminster Abbey.

There are plenty of fascinating facts about the royal wedding, from the estimated global audience of two billion people to all the hidden details in the Princess of Wales's dress and accessories.

It was an unforgettable moment in history that cemented the future of the monarchy.

Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee

2012 was a big year for the Brits for many reasons, but one of the year's biggest celebrations involved Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.

This milestone marked the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on February 6, 1952. The only other monarch to have celebrated a diamond jubilee before was Queen Victoria in 1897.

Every royal took part in the summertime celebrations, which included a pageant of 670 boats on the River Thames, making it the largest of its kind on the Thames in over 300 years, as well as a major concert held outside Buckingham Palace with performances by Stevie Wonder, Kylie Minogue, Ed Sheeran, and Elton John.

The arrival of Prince George, a future king

The arrival of the first child of the now Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince George, heralded the future of the monarchy, secured with a new generation of Mountbatten-Windsor (although, technically, they don't really use that surname).

It was momentous when he arrived in the world at 4.24pm on July 22, 2013 at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London.

He was given the name George Alexander Louis.

The royals are front and center for London 2012

2012 saw London host the Olympic Games. Not only was this a big moment for Britain, it became an opportunity for the Royal Family to really get out and celebrate with the nation.

The royals were front and center for many of the major milestones, and fans even got to see some moments of unguarded PDA as a swept-up William and Kate hugged and embraced, cheering on Team GB.

Zara Tindall makes history

Decades after Princess Anne became the first royal to compete in the Olympics—riding Queen Elizabeth II's horse, Goodwill, in the equestrian three-day event at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games—her daughter would take the torch and take it one step further in 2012.

Zara Tindall competed in the three-day equestrian event at the 2012 London Olympics and became the first (and, to date, only) royal to win an Olympic medal.

Princess Anne even had the privilege of presenting her daughter with her Silver Medal, in her capacity as President of the British Olympic Association.

Queen Elizabeth II becomes Britain's longest-reigning monarch

Queen Elizabeth II became Britain’s longest-reigning monarch in history on September 9, 2015, when she surpassed the reign of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria (whose reign lasted a total of 63 years and 7 months).

In keeping with her stoic wit and no-nonsense attitude, Her Majesty was rather subdued about the milestone, stating, "Inevitably, a long life can pass by many milestones. My own is no exception."

She would go on to extend her record-making lead, reigning for another 7 years until her death in 2022.

Harry and Meghan get married

On May 19, 2018, the star-studded wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place, with A-listers and royals across the globe invited to celebrate their fairytale romance.

Taking place at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, many of Meghan's celebrity pals were in attendance, bringing the world of showbiz glamour to traditional royal splendour.

Well-dressed royal wedding guests included George and Amal Clooney, Serena Williams and Oprah Winfrey.

A family milestone for both Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Anne

With the birth of Savannah Phillips on December 29, 2010, many royals experienced personal milestones.

Savannah was not only Peter Phillips' first child, she was Princess Anne's first grandchild. This also meant that Queen Elizabeth II became a great-grandmother.

By the end of her life in 2022, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip would go on to have eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Zara and Mike Tindall get married

Zara and Mike Tindall married on July 30, 2011 - eight years after they first met in 2003 and just a few months after another royal wedding.

Perhaps because of the massive scale of Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in April of that same year, Princess Anne's only daughter had much more low-key nuptials at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Zara wore a silk ivory gown designed by Stewart Parvin, complemented with her mother's Meander Tiara.

Princess Charlotte arrives

Prince William and Kate Middleton welcomed their second child, and only daughter, on May 2, 2015, with the arrival of Princess Charlotte.

Named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, honoring both her great-grandmother and late grandmother, Princess Diana, Charlotte became the first baby to take the title of princess in 25 years.

Meghan and Harry's love story unfolds (and she was even granted a special privilege)

One of the defining chapters of the late 2010s was the arrival of Meghan Markle to The Firm.

After much speculation about their romance, Prince Harry and the former Suits actress confirmed they'd been dating through a statement released by Kensington Palace in November 2016.

Meghan was even allowed to join the family Christmas service and celebrations held at Sandringham, despite this typically being reserved only for couples after they'd married.

The Obamas pay a visit

For the better part of the 2010s (2009 to 2017) Barack Obama was President of the United States, and he and First Lady Michelle Obama enjoyed a great relationship with the British royals.

The Obamas have spoke highly of their time spent with the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, and in 2016, another memorable encounter saw the President visit Prince William and Kate Middleton at Kensington Palace, where they met Prince George in his bathrobe.

Not everyone can say they met one of the most powerful people in the planet in such leisurely attire, but such is the life of a future king.

The Crown proves that royal interest was at an all-time high

If it was ever in doubt that the rumors and the realities of the royals was losing its hold on the public, Netflix premiering its first season of The Crown dispelled that.

The fictionalized drama of the royals starts with the unexpected ascension of Queen Elizabeth II following the death of her father, and, across its six seasons, covers well-known historic events with a touch of dramatization.

A huge hit, the show would eventually win 24 Primetime Emmy Awards.

Harry, William and Kate join forces

While we know, now, things have soured between the royal brothers, the 2010s was full of great moments between them.

Notably, they joined forces (along with the Princess of Wales) to launch new initiatives that sparked a change in the Royal Family. As the new generation, they weren't afraid to be more open and vulnerable, often coming together to discuss topics like grief and mental health, especially in relation to losing their mom, Princess Diana.

The royal trio launched Heads Together in May 2016, a mental health charity campaign with the ambition to "change the conversation on mental health once and for all."

Queen Elizabeth II becomes a Bond Girl

As part of the epic London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, Her Majesty took part in a secret cameo for a filmed skit involving 007 actor Daniel Craig. In the clip, James Bond visits the Queen at Buckingham Palace before he leads her to a helicopter. An actor pretending to be the Queen then jumped out of a helicopter live at the Opening Ceremony.

Reports at the time suggest that the Queen kept the hilarious cameo secret from her family so they could be in on the surprise.

William and Kate take George on tour

In 2014, when he wasn't even one year old, Prince George experienced his first overseas royal tour, joining mom and dad on a well-received visit to Australia and New Zealand.

The new parents taking their young son with them also had a touching echo of Princess Diana, going against convention at the time to bring a baby Prince William to Australia with her and the then-Prince Charles.

A new engagement saw an old favorite return...

The now Prince and Princess of Wales announced their engagement on November 16, 2010. In an interview following their news, they revealed the proposal took place in October during a private holiday in Kenya.

As well as giving new insight into their relationship, the announcement allowed Kate to showcase her engagement ring, the same one that had previously belonged to Princess Diana.

The iconic jewel features a 12-carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds, all set in 18-carat white gold.

Princess Eugenie marries Jack Brooksbank

The 2010s were a romantic decade for the royals, with several weddings taking place, including that of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank.

Eugenie, the youngest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, married Jack on October 12, 2018, at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Princess Eugenie became the first British princess of royal blood to marry in the Church of England since the wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips.

Prince Philip formally retires

In 2017, Britain's longest-serving royal consort, Prince Philip, officially retired from public duties.

Having supported his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, for most of her iconic reign, Philip, five years her senior, decided to retire from life as a working royal when he was 96, having completed 22,219 solo engagements and 5,493 speeches since 1952.

His final individual public engagement was a parade to mark the finale of the 1664 Global Challenge, on the Buckingham Palace Forecourt.

The royals go online

After first wading into Twitter at the end of 2009, the royals fully extended their reach with each royal household (Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, Kensington Palace, and, at the time, the Sussexes) setting up their own Instagram profiles in the early 2010s.

Proving they can modernize with the best of them, today, the likes of the King and Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales use these platforms regularly to share behind-the-scenes insight and more personal moments with millions of fans.

Princess Beatrice's wedding attire nearly steals the show

Perhaps unexpectedly, Princess Beatrice nearly stole the spotlight from Kate Middleton at her 2011 wedding with one of the most iconic royal hats in history.

Beatrice wore a sculptural Philip Treacy creation to the royal wedding, and it ended up spawning hundreds of headlines and online reactions, being compared to everything from a lobster to a toilet seat.

Finding the silver lining, the philanthropic princess would go on to sell her hat at an auction, raising $131,341 for children’s charities.

Prince Louis makes three

The Wales family became a family of five when Prince William and Kate Middleton welcomed baby number three on April 23, 2018.

At 8 pounds, 7 ounces, Louis Arthur Charles was the heaviest newborn heir in over 100 years.

On 9 July that year, Louis was baptised in the historic surroundings of the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace.

Prince William and Harry mark the 20th anniversary of Diana's untimely death

In 2017, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s sad death in August 1997, Prince William and Prince Harry made an emotional visit to the new Kensington Palace memorial garden dedicated to her honor.

The brothers also spoke candidly in a revealing new BBC interview, titled Diana, 7 Days, in which they talked about how King Charles was there for them during their grieving.

King Charles broke a record

In 2013, when he was still the Prince of Wales, Charles set a new record.

He officially became the oldest heir to the throne for almost 300 years, beating the previous record of William IV, who became king in June 1830 at 64 years old.

Charles would go on to extend the lead of this record by some years, not becoming King until 2022, when he was aged 73.

Queen Elizabeth II breaks tradition with a political message

In 2014, Queen Elizabeth II made the somewhat unconventional move of letting some of her own political beliefs be publicly known.

For decades, Her Majesty stuck firm to her rule of keeping quiet on political issues, but as Scotland went to the polls to vote on their independence from the United Kingdom in 2014, the Queen issued an appeal.

Coming four days before the vote, she urged people to "think very carefully" about their decisions. After Scotland voted to stay, Her Majesty released an official statement which read, "Knowing the people of Scotland as I do, I have no doubt that Scots, like others throughout the United Kingdom, are able to express strongly-held opinions before coming together again in a spirit of mutual respect and support, to work constructively for the future of Scotland and indeed all parts of this country.

"My family and I will do all we can to help and support you in this important task."

Prince Archie is born

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle became parents for the first time in 2019, with the arrival of their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor on May 6.

Unlike previous royal births, there was no immediate photocall at the hospital steps, but Harry and Meghan introduced their new son in a photocall at Windsor Castle a couple of days later.

King Charles and Camilla make a historic first

As the decade neared an end, the now King Charles and Queen Camilla still found ways to make historic first steps for the Firm.

The pair made a historic trip to Cuba in 2019, becoming the first royals to visit the Communist state in an official capacity.

As part of their visit, they sampled rum and even drove a vintage car to a classic car rally.

Harry popped the question

In November 2017, it was confirmed that Prince Harry had popped the question to Meghan Markle.

Touching details of their proposal were revealed during their subsequent interview, with the Duke of Sussex popping the question over a humble roast chicken dinner.

Harry proposed to Meghan with a custom ring, made using a diamond he sourced from Botswana and two others that had previously belonged to Princess Diana.

Queen Elizabeth II's historic visit to Ireland

In 2011, Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to visit the Republic of Ireland since the independent state had been established.

For the historic moment, Her Majesty wore a dress adorned with shamrocks, the national emblem of Ireland, to a state banquet at Dublin Castle.

At the banquet, she also made a well-received toast, opening up with a Gaeilge phrase, "A Uachtaráin, agus a chairde" (translated to 'president and friends').

Queen Elizabeth’s first speech at the UN in over 50 years

Proving that her authority and power were still as prevalent as ever, 50+ years into her reign, Her Majesty made a much-publicized speech at the UN in 2010.

In her first address to the United Nations in 53 years, Her Majesty spoke out about the rise of global terrorism as well as climate issues, urging countries "to work together as hard as ever."

This was also her first visit back to New York since 1976, and she laid a wreath at the 9/11 memorial.

The Queen marks a stylish first

Her outfits were unmistakeable. From the bold colors to the fabulous hats and more, Queen Elizabeth II knew the power of fashion. Which is why it might be surprising that it took until 2018 for Her Majesty to attend London Fashion Week.

She made her debut sitting front row alongside another type of queen - Vogue legend Anna Wintour.

The kids start stealing the show

One of the touching highlights of the 2010s was seeing the young royals grow up before our eyes.

Royals like Prince William and Zara Tindall who had been teens and youngsters, were now parents themselves, and their children started to grow up and steal the spotlight with adorable antics.

Over the years, fans have loved seeing the likes of Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis looking out for one another, and for Trooping the Color in 2018, Savannah Phillips cracked people up by shushing Prince George on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.