Countdown to the New Year: The Cutest Royal Family Moments of 2017
We’ve still got a few days left, but 2017 was a pretty good year for the royal family. Not only did they announce that Prince Will and Kate Middleton are expecting their third child, they also welcomed another family member in the form of Prince Harry‘s fiancée, Meghan Markle. But for all the news-worthy moments Queen Elizabeth and her kin had over the past twelve months, they’ve also had some seriously adorable times. And, lucky for us, plenty were captured on camera. We went back through the royal family archives and found some of our favorite moments — and they’re all super sweet. Scroll through the gallery below to check out the British royal family’s cutest photos of 2017.
-
Cutie Prince George
Getty Images Prince George got excited about helicopters.
While visiting Germany, the tiny tot got the chance to explore some of the crafts at the Hamburg airport — and he had a grand old time.
-
Charles Plays Cars
Getty Images Prince Charles got his playtime on.
While visiting the Caerphilly Miners Community Centre in Wales, Prince Charles got down on the kids' level to play cars with them.
-
Flower Boy George
Getty Images Prince George was a flower boy.
At his aunt Pippa's wedding, the young royal joined a pack of little ones spreading flower petals during the ceremony.
-
-
George Charlotte Screaming
Getty Images Prince George and Princess Charlotte went for a ride.
While boarding a plane, the two squeezed into one seat to peer out the window at the press. We can't stop laughing at Charlotte's expression. Sometimes, these two are just regular kids.
-
George At School
Getty Images Prince George went to school.
And he looked adorable in his uniform — and as charming as ever as he seemed ready to take on his first day.
-
Kate Middleton Paddington Bear
Getty Images Kate Middleton danced with Paddington Bear.
At the Charities Forum Event at Paddington Station, the soon-to-be mom of three took a twirl with her stuffed friend. We can only imagine what George and Charlotte thought when they found out.
-
-
Matching Will Kate Kids
Getty Images The royal family stepped out in matching outfits.
They each rocked their own complementary shade of blue, and looked stunning doing it. Now this is one handsome family.
-
Kate George Matching Grins
Getty Images They also wore matching expressions.
Kate and her son showed off shining twin grins, while Will and his daughter looked just about ready for the Trooping The Colour parade to be over.
-
Will Kate Harry Race
Getty Images Will, Harry, and Kate challenged each other to a race.
While with Team Heads Together, the three lined up for a sprint to see who's fastest during Marathon Training Day. Harry won by a mile, but we're just laughing at everybody's expressions.
-
-
Pouty Baby George
Getty Images Prince George perfected his royal pout.
The heir to the throne wasn't feeling particularly up to the adventure after the family landed in Warsaw, Poland. Sometimes the royal duties just get to be a bit much, huh?
-
Prince Charles Gives Hug
Getty Images Prince Charles gives out a hug.
Though commoners aren't typically permitted to touch royals beyond a handshake, Charles broke protocol and gave a touching hug to Valentin Blacker, the son of Romanian conservationist William Blacker, while visiting Bucharest.
-
Prince Harry Hug
Getty Images Prince Harry gives hugs, too.
While visiting Sydney, Australia, the royal stopped to say hello 97-year-old Daphne Dunn, a war widow whom he first met during a 2015 trip to Sydney. The two greeted each other with smiles, a hug, and even a kiss on the cheek.
-
-
Prince Harry Popcorn
Getty Images Prince Harry shares his popcorn.
While at the Invictus Games in Toronto, Prince Harry shared his popcorn and some friendly teasing with 2-year-old Emily Henson, the daughter of Paralympian Dave Henson.
-
Harry Silly Faces
Getty Images Prince Harry makes funny faces.
Harry continued to play with Emily and keep her entertained during the games, making funny faces at her with her mom, Hayley Henson.
-
Princess Charlotte Flowers
Getty Images Princess Charlotte stops to smell the flowers.
After arriving in Germany, the royal family was greeted with a bouquet of flowers. The princess got her own, smaller bouquet — and she seemed to love it.
-
-
Prince Harry Meghan
Getty Images Meghan Markle looks at her fiancé.
We knew the royal couple was in love — after all, their engagement announcement was international breaking news — but she had so much adoration in her eyes while looking at him during a visit to Nottingham Academy.
-
Queen Elizabeth Flowers Fan
Getty Images Queen Elizabeth accepts flowers from a young fan.
While out and about with Prince Phillip, the queen was gifted a bouquet from a young girl — and she accepted with perfect poise and gratitude.
-
Royal Couples Together
Getty Images The royal couples stepped out together.
The foursome made their first appearance together for the Christmas Day Church Service at Church of St. Mary Magdalene. It looks like Kate and Meghan are already getting close!
-
-
Queen Liz Family
Getty Images The queen loves her family photos.
After recording her Christmas Day broadcast to the Commonwealth, the queen took a few moments to relax in Buckingham Palace, surrounded by gorgeous Christmas decorations and pictures of her family.
-
Royal Engagement
Getty Images Meghan and Prince Harry shared their engagement photos.
Their official engagement shoot was gorgeous. But our favorite picture might be this behind-the-scenes shot the couple decided to share after releasing the two official images.
-
Will Kate Making Pretzels
Getty Images Will and Kate made pretzels.
Talk about a date night. The duke and duchess took on the task while visiting a traditional German market in Heidelberg.
-
-
Queen Elizabeth Animals
Getty Images Queen Elizabeth made her share of animal friends.
Whether it was a horse from the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in London or an elephant at the Centre for Elephant Care in Dunstable, the queen was caught befriending animals like a royal straight out of a Disney story.