The high point of any royal wedding has to be the first big kiss between prince and princess. After all, it's the moment we're all looking forward to on May 19 when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle marry [1] at Windsor. Ever since Charles and Diana puckered up on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following their marriage in 1981, we've come to expect a lip lock from the newlyweds as part of the whole royal wedding experience. So as we get very excited indeed about Harry and Meghan's first kiss as husband and wife, here are 11 standout smooches from royal weddings.
Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales
It was the kiss that sealed a fairy tale and began a royal wedding tradition. No one was expecting Prince Charles and his bride, Lady Diana Spencer, to actually lock lips on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding on July 29, 1981, but they took everyone by surprise by agreeing to the crowd's calls for a kiss. That one smooch started a trend and became an iconic image that still has an air of romance — even though we know there was no happy ending for this pair.
Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York
After Charles and Diana's balcony kiss, there was every expectation that Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson would follow suit after their wedding on July 23, 1986, at Westminster Abbey — they didn't disappoint. Once out on the palace balcony, the new Duke and Duchess of York teased the crowds calling for a kiss by pretending not to hear before locking lips in one of the most passionate royal wedding smooches ever.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
William and Kate kissed not once but twice on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on their wedding day, April 29, 2011. And just to make it even more romantic, lip-readers promise us that just before swooping in for smooch number two, Will told Kate he loved her. Sigh.
Guillaume and Stéphanie of Luxembourg
The prize for longest ever royal wedding kiss goes, easily, to Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and his bride, Stéphanie of Lannoy, who seemed stuck like glue to each other after their wedding on Oct. 20, 2012. The pair were oblivious to the huge crowds cheering below as they started married life with a very intense kiss indeed.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain
Felipe and Letizia of Spain kept it far more innocent when they appeared on the balcony of Madrid's royal palace following their marriage on May 22, 2004. Despite being very loved up at all their prewedding public appearances, this royal pair opted for a discreet peck on the cheek. And very sweet it was, too.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
It might have been freezing cold in Amsterdam on Feb. 2, 2002, when Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands wed Argentinian Máxima Zorreguieta, but the newlyweds sent temperatures soaring with a very passionate pucker up on the balcony after their wedding. It was relaxed and romantic in equal measure, just like the couple themselves.
Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
When Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark married Australian Mary Donaldson in Copenhagen on May 14, 2004, the pair couldn't stop smooching. From kisses in the church to lip locks on their carriage ride home, this pair of royal lovebirds had no intention of waiting for the balcony. When they did appear at the royal palace, there was a shower of kisses including this very tender moment that sent the crowds wild.
Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden
Another royal couple who didn't skimp on the wedding day kisses: Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, who smooched all the way through their wedding day in Stockholm on June 19, 2010. It was billed as the biggest royal marriage since Charles and Diana's almost three decades earlier, and Victoria and Daniel made sure it was just as famous for its kiss factor, topping off the day with this smooch on the royal palace balcony in the Summer sunshine.
Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden
They're one of Europe's most romantic royal couples, and when Prince Carl Philip of Sweden married Sofia Hellqvist [3] in Stockholm on June 13, 2015, they gave us one of the dreamiest wedding kisses to seal their love story. After a more staid smooch on the steps of the church, Carl Philip and Sofia got pretty passionate on the balcony of Stockholm's royal palace and melted plenty of hearts while they were at it.
Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Chris O'Neill
Who needs a balcony to produce the perfect royal wedding kiss? Princess Madeleine of Sweden and her new husband, Chris O'Neill, took to a mini flower-strewn stage instead for their big wedding day smooch on June 8, 2013. And pretty picture perfect it was, too.
Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco
Albert and Charlene had already done the balcony wedding kiss the previous day after their civil marriage, but that didn't stop them from smooching their way through their religious wedding on July 2, 2011. This sweet kiss came just after Charlene had placed her flowers at the Church of St. Devote in Monaco.