15 times the royals became emotional and cried in public including Princess Kate

Queen Rania of Jordan

Princess Rajwa was overcome with emotion at her henna party, as her mother-in-law, Queen Rania, paid a touching tribute to her 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 2023, which was attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales.

King Charles

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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.

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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.

Princess Charlotte 

In 2017, Princess Charlotte had a rather tearful end to the then-Cambridge family royal tour in Germany. The two-year-old broke down in tears after she appeared to have taken a tumble on the tarmac at Hamburg Airport. Walking side by side with her mother Kate, the adorable tot needed some encouragement before she embarked the helicopter with her parents and older brother Prince George. She was spotted rubbing her eyes as her family tried to comfort her.

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Charlotte looked cute in a pretty pink floral dress, which was teamed with her red leather shoes.

The Duchess of Edinburgh

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.

Queen Elizabeth II

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 

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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

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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

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

Prince William

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

Princess Beatrice

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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.

Queen Letizia

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Queen Letizia appears visibly moved during the state funeral for flood victims at Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias in Valencia, Spain, on 29 October 2025.