The first decade of the 21st century was packed full of world-changing news and moments - from the 9/11 terror attacks and war in Iraq to the first ever iPod and social media's early days.
For the Royal Family, who had seen through the tough defining moments of the 90s, the noughties started to see calmer days, and the younger generations started to grow up before the public's eyes.
From the introduction of Kate Middleton to the Golden Jubilee, let's look back at the 2000s...
The defining royal moments of the noughties
Prince William meets a young girl called Kate...
Now, of course, we can't imagine the Royal Family without Catherine, Princess of Wales. Her and Prince William - and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - are immensely popular figures, and the future of the monarchy.
And it all started back in 2001. William and Kate met in 2001 when they were both students at St. Andrews University in Scotland.
Having lived in the same building, they started out as friends. And Kate has previously spoken about her memories of the first meeting, saying during their engagement interview in 2010, "Well actually I think I actually went bright red when I met [William]. And sort of scuttled off feeling very shy about meeting [him]."
Charles marries Camilla
Some three decades after reportedly first meeting, the less-than-smooth courtship of King Charles and Queen Camilla had its first step towards a happily-ever-after ending.
The couple married in a civil ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall, followed by a marriage blessing at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on April 9, 2005.
Camilla wore a cream silk chiffon dress hemmed with vertical rows of Swiss-made appliqued woven disks and a matching oyster silk basket weave coat.
The Queen Mother turns 100
The decade got off to a wonderful start thanks to a historic birthday on August 4, 2000. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, celebrated her 100th birthday, becoming the first member of the royal family to reach this milestone.
Celebrating with a Buckingham Palace balcony appearance, alongside her daughters, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret, a royal salute of 41 guns sounded at the same time from nearby Green Park.
A special touch from daughter to mother as she turned 100
The late Queen Elizabeth II made sure to include a heartfelt and memorable touch to her mum's historic 100th birthday.
As is customary for anyone turning the milestone age, a postman arrived at Clarence House, the home of the Queen Mother, to deliver the same telegram that everyone receives from the monarch.
However, this one was handwritten and was signed 'Lilibet,' the Queen's family nickname.
The Queen pays special tribute to the 9/11 victims
The Changing of the Guard is a time-honoured ceremony, and one full of history and tradition.
On September 13, 2001, the Queen permitted a change to the historic tradition for a very poignant reason.
Following the devastating 9/11 terror attacks in New York City, the Guard paused for a two-minute silence, followed by the playing of the American National Anthem.
Prince Andrew and the US ambassador stepped outside the Palace to join in with the crowd to watch and pay respect.
Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie have their first child
There were plenty of heart-warming, happy moments to celebrate throughout the decade, and one of them was Prince Edward - the youngest child of the late Queen and Prince Philip - welcoming his very first child with wife Sophie, the now Duchess of Edinburgh.
Lady Louise Windsor was born on November 8, 2003.
Despite it all ending happily and healthily, it was a dramatic birth. Lady Louise arrived prematurely, and Sophie, who was then Countess of Wessex, was rushed there by ambulance from their home at Bagshot Park, Surrey while Edward was away in Mauritius on an official engagement.
Queen Elizabeth becomes the first monarch since Queen Victoria to celebrate a Golden Jubilee
On February 6, 2002, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth nations celebrated the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne on February 6, 1952.
This momentous occasion made the late Queen the first monarch to reach the milestone since Queen Victoria.
All over the territories, six key Jubilee themes shaped the events: Celebration, Community, Service, Past and future, Giving thanks and Commonwealth.
The main celebrations took place later in the year, over a Jubilee weekend in the beginning of June.
Princess Margaret dies
The 2000s saw a series of sad losses for the family, starting with Princess Margaret.
After a bout of ill health plagued her final years, including strokes and being wheelchair bound for public appearances, the Queen’s younger sister died on February 9, 2002.
She was 71 years old. Her funeral took place at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor.
More grief for the royals as the Queen Mother dies a month after her daughter
A little over a month after the death of Princess Margaret, the Queen Mother passed away on March 30, 2002.
The Queen Mother had Queen Elizabeth by her side as she passed, and she died at the Royal Lodge, Windsor, at the age of 101.
At 101 years and 238 days old, she was the longest-living member of the British royal family at the time of her death, and the first member of the family to live past the age of 100.
The Queen Mother’s funeral was a truly historic moment
As testament to how popular she had been throughout her life, despite being 101, the Queen Mother's passing was still met with widespread grief and tributes.
Amusingly, and as a nod to her well-known love of a cocktail, some even left bottles of gin with the flowers.
Before her flag-draped coffin was taken from Windsor to lie in state, an arrangement of camellias from her own gardens was placed on top.
On the day of the funeral, April 9, 2002, the bell of Westminster Abbey tolled 101 times, once for each year of her life.
After the service, at her request, the wreath that had lain atop her coffin was placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey.
The last grandchild for Queen Elizabeth II is born
Born as the Viscount Severn and now the Earl of Wessex, Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward welcomed their second child, James, on December 17, 2007.
He was the youngest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
A memorial opens for Princess Diana
Designed by Gustafson Porter and costing £3.6M, the memorial fountain dedicated to Diana, Princess of Wales, was officially opened in Hyde Park on July 6, 2004.
Designed to be open and reflective of Diana's personality, the fountain can be found in the southwest corner of Hyde Park, not too far from Buckingham Palace. The opening of the memorial was special as it united the Royal Family with the Spencer family for the first time since Diana's funeral in 1997.
At the opening was Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, King Charles, Princes William and Harry, Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, and her sisters, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale.
The Queen turned 80 in 2006
The 2000s saw a milestone birthday for the late Queen Elizabeth, who turned 80 years old on April 21, 2006.
While her own mother reached the impressive age of 101, this milestone made Her Majesty one of the few monarchs to reach such an age.
Only Queen Victoria made it to 80, but died at 81 (George III is one of the only others, and that was way back in 1820).
Prince Harry is deployed to Afghanistan
In the 2000s, Prince Harry became one of the first royals to serve during an active war in many years.
Before Harry's deployment to Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008, royals who had served during wartime included Prince Andrew, as a pilot during the Falklands War, and George VI, serving in the navy during World War I.
The Queen meets Barack Obama
Throughout her historic 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II met 13 US presidents - and during the 2000s, that included Barack Obama.
Getting along famously well, President Obama later recounted their first meeting in 2009 at the G20 summit.
"When you meet with leaders, you exchange gifts. You never want to be out-gifted! I wanted her actually to be able to use the gift. She loved British Broadway Showtunes, and the iPod had just come out. I thought, let's get an iPod and fill it with British show tunes. The British tabloids thought it was entirely inappropriate, but I think she used it quite a bit," he recalled.
The Queen and Prince Philip travel the world
As part of the 2002 Golden Jubilee celebrations, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip took on some hefty travel duties. Even more impressive considering Her Majesty was 76 at the time, and Philip was 81.
They travelled over 40,000 miles by air around the UK and the world, including Jamaica, New Zealand and Australia, and Canada during the Jubilee.
Brian May plays on top of Buckingham Palace
In truly remarkable scenes - and perhaps as proof that the monarchy were willing to relax more in the new millennium and embrace these big pop culture moments - Queen musician Brian May played a solo guitar version of God Save the Queen on the roof of Buckingham Palace on June 2, 2002, during the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations.
The Party at the Palace proved the Royals could still pull in a crowd
One of the main events during the Golden Jubilee weekend in June 2002, a massive party was held at Buckingham Palace, with everyone from Dame Shirley Bassey and Paul McCartney to Ozzy Osbourne and Ricky Martin performing (those royals - making sure there's something for everyone).
If the popularity or relevance was ever in question in the new millennium, the Party at the Palace concert was one of the most watched pop concerts in history, attracting around 200 million viewers all over the world.
Girl power reigned supreme
A new decade and a new millennium brought modernity to the royals like never before. Having had Her Majesty on the throne for 50 years, it only made sense that she ushered in an era of powerful women.
The first female Queen's equerry was in attendance during the Golden Jubilee tour of New Zealand - and it was here where it was notable how every leadership position was held by a woman.
The Queen - as Head of State - joined a female Governor-General (Dame Silvia Cartwright), a female Prime Minister (Helen Clark) and a female Chief Justice (Sian Elias).
The Queen and Prince Philip’s 60th wedding anniversary
On November 20, 2007, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip celebrated a truly remarkable achievement - their Diamond Wedding Anniversary.
Marking sixty years of marriage, the couple celebrated by sharing new photos of the couple taken in the grounds of Balmoral, and a lovely portrait of them with their four children, the then Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
There were plenty of milestone birthdays
The year 2000 saw plenty of important birthdays for various members of the Royal Family.
Princess Anne turned 50 on August 15, and Princess Margaret turned 70 on August 21.
And on June 21, 2000, the future King, Prince William, also turned 18, and celebrated with some - let's just say it, questionable - birthday portraits taken in the grounds of Eton College.
Peter Phillips marries Autumn Phillips
As a clear sign that the younger generation of royals was really growing up, the late Queen's first grandchild was also the first to get married in 2008.
Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly announced their engagement on July 28, 2007, and they were married in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, on May 17, 2008.
The couple would go on to welcome two daughters, but divorced in 2021.
The Queen appoints the first female Poet Laureate
Another significant first in 2009, as Carol Ann Duffy became the first woman appointed to the position pf poet laureate in the United Kingdom.
The Golden Jubilee saw a ceremonial first featuring all of the Queen's guards
Each year, from Trooping the Colour to the regular Changing of the Guard, royal fans have come to expect pageantry and precision from the royal guards.
However, it was done on another level altogether as a special first during the Golden Jubilee.
The first ever parade of all Her Majesty's bodyguards was held in 2022, marking the first time in their centuries-old history that they had gone on parade together.
The 300-strong Parade included detachments from the Gentlemen at Arms (created by King Henry VIII in 1509), the Yeoman of the Guard (created by King Henry VII in 1485) and the Yeoman Warders (one of the oldest corps in the world dating back to the eleventh century and based at the Tower of London).
Zara Tindall follows in her mother's footsteps
We know now that Zara Tindall would go on to become the first - and, to date, only - royal to win a medal at the Olympic Games in 2012. But a few years before this, in 2006, the talented equestrian was awarded the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year.
In a touching connection, her mum, Princess Anne, had received the same accolade 35 years prior.
The royals open the gardens of Buckingham Palace to the public
To capture the jubilant spirit of the Golden Jubilee year in 2002, the gardens of Buckingham Palace were used for public concerts for the first time ever during the Golden Jubilee Weekend.
It saw hundreds of people having picnics and toasting to Her Majesty's 50th year on the throne.
The Queen’s historic Christmas broadcast
Beyond the realms of the Royal Family, the 2000s saw plenty of change and upheaval around the world. The US and the UK went to war with Iraq, and this inspired Her Majesty to make a change to her annual Christmas broadcast.
For the first time in the history of the Christmas Broadcast - which had been televised since 1957 - Queen Elizabeth II's message was recorded entirely on location at Combermere Barracks in Windsor, a nod and a message of support to the teamwork of the Armed Forces and voluntary services.
Princess Anne becomes the first royal convicted of a criminal offence
Not all 'firsts' are a good thing, as Princess Anne found out in 2002.
While Princess Anne has had plenty of positive moments over her lifetime, she also became the first member of the royal family to plead guilty to a criminal offence.
Back in 2002, her English bull terrier Dotty unfortunately bit two children whilst they walked in Windsor Great Park. While the children weren’t seriously harmed, Anne pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dog that was dangerously out of control in a public place, and was fined £500 for the offence, as well as the necessary court costs.
The Gold State Coach gets used for the first time in decades
For royal historians and lovers of the traditional bells and whistles, the 2000s saw the highlight of the return of the Gold State Coach - the first time since 1977.
The Gold State Coach was used twice during the Golden Jubilee, making its first appearance since the Silver Jubilee.
The Gold State Coach, per the Royal Collection Trust, was built in 1762 to transport British kings and queens. It was designed by William Chambers and made by the coachmaker Samuel Butler. At over 260 years old, it has been used at every coronation since William IV’s in 1831.
The oldest member of the British royal family dies in 2004
The Queen Mother might have made it to 101 at the time of her death in 2002, but she would be slightly outdone by Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester.
By the time the Princess - who was an aunt by marriage to Elizabeth II, and sister-in-law to George VI - died in 2004, she had reached 102.
To date, she still holds the title of the longest-living member of the Royal Family.
Camilla becomes more of an active member
In the present day, Camilla is Queen - and she's become widely well-liked and accepted. But it took a lot of years to get to this point.
After the rocky start, Camilla's marriage to Charles in 2005 was followed by her first major engagements and appearances as a working royal.
Slowly but surely, she proved herself a steadfast and reliable figure, and the 2005 overseas tour to the United States was seen as one of the first steps.
Over 50 years into her reign, Queen Elizabeth is voted more popular than ever
After weathering the tough period in the 1990s, including Diana's death and increased scrutiny of the Royal Family's place in a modernised society, the mid to late 2000s saw a return to peak popularity.
And in 2007, a public poll of the Greatest Britons crowned Her Majesty the Greatest Living Briton.
