Prince William at Guards Polo Club upset after having been told off

18 times the royals have become emotional and cried in public

The likes of King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales have all shed a tear in public

Content Managing Editor

June 6, 2023Jun 6, 2023, 10:08 AM GMT+1

The royals are known for their cool, calm exteriors and traditional stiff upper lip. And in general, they're a family with a lot to celebrate.

Here at HELLO! we like to focus on all the happy occasions, but there are of course, as in all of our lives, more trying times, particularly with the passing of Queen Elizabeth II last September.

Take a look at the touching moments when the royals showed they're just like the rest of us, and they couldn't help let their emotions get the better of them.

Queen Rania of Jordan

Rania made a speech during the ceremony of Rajwa-Al-Saif's Henna Party 2023 — Princess Rajwa tears up as Queen Rania delivers a touching speech during her henna party

Princess Rajwa was overcome with emotion at her henna party, as her mother-in-law, Queen Rania, paid a touching tribute to her new daughter-in-law. The Jordanian queen described Rajwa as "the sweetest and most beautiful bride-to-be", adding that she is as precious to her as her daughters Princesses Iman and Salma.

"I'll never forget how happy His Majesty and I were when Al Hussein told us he wanted to marry Rajwa. She is the perfect answer to all my prayers for him," Rania reflected, before wishing the couple a blessed and happy future.

"May you always be each other’s source of happiness and support," she said.

Architect Rajwa Al Saif married King Abdullah and Queen Rania's eldest son, Crown Prince Hussein, during a beautiful wedding ceremony and banquet on 1 June, which was attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales.

King Charles

King Charles III was choked up with emotion as the giant Buckingham Palace crowds overwhelmed him during the official mourning period of Her Majesty the Queen. Tears welled up in the new monarch's eyes as he looked on at the thousands of people who had gathered outside the royal residence on Sunday 11 September, three days after his mother's death.

King Charless tears at Trooping the Colour

The King looked visibly moved and teary as he stepped out onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace with his mother the Queen during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022. The royals were celebrating the late monarch's official birthday parade, Trooping the Colour, and after two years of a global pandemic that saw many large-scale events cancelled, the sight of the thousands of well-wishers lining the Mall seemed to overwhelm Charles. His mother had also been suffering from mobility and health issues at the time, so was unable to attend the whole parade.

Prince Harry

In October 2019, the Duke of Sussex carried out a very poignant engagement – attending the WellChild Awards, which celebrates the inspirational qualities of seriously ill children and young people.

Harry welled up as he gave a speech, (which you can hear in the video below) reminiscing on how that time the previous year he and his wife Meghan were the only people to know that the Duchess was pregnant.

Demonstrating how strong a parent's love is, Harry said: "Last year when my wife and I attended we knew we were expecting our first child - no one else did at the time, but we did…"

Harry, overcome with emotion, trailed off, bent his head down and cleared his throat before continuing. Gaby Roslin was on hand to comfort the Duke, as he continued: "I remember squeezing Meghan’s hand so tight during the awards, both of us thinking what it would be like to be parents one day, and more so, what it would be like to do everything we could to protect and help our child should they be born with immediate challenges or become unwell over time.

"And now, as parents, being here and speaking to all of you, pulls at my heartstrings in a way I could have never understood until I had a child of my own."

The Duchess of Edinburgh

Countess of Wessex crying on Remembrance Day

The Countess of Wessex was visibly emotional at the Remembrance Sunday service in London back in November 2021. Sophie joined the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge on the balcony of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office building to watch the annual ceremony as they led tributes to those who have died in world wars and other conflicts.

The Duchess of Sussex

Meghan Markle wipes away tear at Queens funeral

The Duchess of Sussex was seen wiping away tears on Monday 19 September at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey. At several moments throughout the emotional service Meghan was seen composing herself and later she was pictured with the Countess of Wessex, with the two appearing to share a tissue.

Meghan Markle crying during Oprah Winfrey interview

Meghan was visibly emotional as she made a heartbreaking admission during her and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2020. Meghan revealed that she had experienced suicidal thoughts during her pregnancy with Archie at the height of her crisis in the monarchy, telling Oprah: "I just didn't want to be alive anymore."

Queen Elizabeth II

Remembrance Sunday is always a poignant event in the royal calendar, and in 2002, the Queen was overcome with emotion as she visited the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey.

The first time Her Majesty cried in public was in December 1997 when her beloved HMY Britannia was decommissioned. It was a rare sight for fans to see the normally stoic royal shed a tear. The Queen was saying goodbye to her luxury yacht, whose costs were too great to maintain. The ship had faithfully served the royal family for over 40 years.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie

The royal sisters were visibly moved as they heard from a grandmother who has kept the memory of her grandson alive by fundraising for the Teenage Cancer Trust during a joint Zoom call in July 2020.

The pair listened as Enid Waterfall, from Wrexham spoke about how she had been fundraising tirelessly for the charity, carrying on the work of her grandson Richard, who died in 2018 after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that affects the bones or the tissues around them.

An emotional Eugenie said she was choked up while listening to Enid's story, while Beatrice was spotted dabbing at her eyes, as Enid wiped away a tear.

Zara Tindall

Zara Tindall appeared to be in tears alongside Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie at Balmoral just hours after Her Majesty's the Queen's death in September. Her passing clearly had a large impact on granddaughters who were seen in tears as they viewed tributes left to Her Majesty.

The royals stopped to look at all the tributes as they returned from a private prayer service which had been held at Crathie Kirk, a church that had been frequented by the Queen whenever she was in Balmoral.

The Princess of Wales

When the Princess of Wales attended a launch event for East Anglia Children's Hospices charity in November 2014, she was seen welling up as she drove away from the engagement. Kate, who was four months pregnant with Princess Charlotte, had spoken to one attendee, Leigh Smith. The pair had corresponded after Leigh sadly lost her three-month-old baby Beatrice from a rare heart condition.

Kate replied to her letter and sought Leigh out during the launch event. Physiotherapist Leigh revealed: "Kate gave me a hug just before she left. I was getting quite teary-eyed, she had tears in her eyes and she just said to me, 'You're a very brave lady and again, I'm just so, so sorry.'"

Princess Diana

Some 22 years earlier, Princess Diana found herself in a similar situation when she visited Ashworth Hospice in Liverpool. The People's Princess, who was known for her incredible empathy, burst into tears as she left the emotional engagement.

Queen Camilla

King Charles' wife Camilla welled up during a visit to the Safelives Centre in London in January 2016. The Queen Consort spoke to victims of domestic abuse and heard from Diana Parkes, whose daughter Joanna Brown was murdered by husband Robert.

The Queen Mother

The Queen Mother was spotted wiping away a tear during celebrations to commemorate the 50th anniversary of VE Day in 1995. The Queen Mother's late husband, King George VI, was monarch during the Second World War and the royals had stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace when victory was declared in Europe in 1945.

Princess Anne

Senior royals attended the decommissioning ceremony, including the Queen's daughter Princess Anne who also wiped away a tear.

Prince William

A young Prince William was comforted by his mum Princess Diana during a sports day in Richmond back in 1990.

Princess Beatrice

A young Princess Beatrice burst into tears after her friend was refused entry to the Royal Box at the Royal Berkshire Polo Club in 1991.

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