Royal Photobombs That Will Make You Smile

For everything that the royal family is known for — the castles, the tiaras, the pomp and circumstance — they are truly recognized for their decorum. Not a hair is out of place, no matter the environment. Everyone is always perfectly dressed, poised, and carefully curated; even the members who have been on the scene the longest have always managed to put their best foot forward.

Take Princess Anne, for example. The late Queen Elizabeth II's second child and eldest daughter, Anne has been named the hardest working royal on more than one occasion and is well-known for always displaying her most composed self. Certainly not the princess of fairy tales and ball gowns, Anne has marched forward at the beat of her own drum, often demanding the same treatment as her three brothers as far as formalities are concerned. She is a Knight of the Garter, not a Royal Lady of the Garter. She is a commanding military presence, her brother's right hand. Anne is, without a doubt, royal through and through.

If Anne's decorum is the goal, some royals fail to reach the high bar. In fact, some are downright silly and have jumped in during inopportune photo moments, "bombing" the snap in one way or another. From the late queen — yes, she photobombed on a number of occasions — to Prince Harry to Princess Catherine, some royals have kicked formality to the curb on more than one instance and have instead embraced their goofy side.

There's no one in a family sillier than the younger siblings, and that's certainly true for Princess Eugenie. The youngest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Eugenie has always shown her smiley side in public, and that was certainly true back in 2013. While attending the annual Royal Ascot, Eugenie was photographed alongside Queen Elizabeth II, though not in the manner you might think of a granddaughter with her grandmother. Instead of posing for the camera, Eugenie darted out in front of the queen and flashed a smile, much to the monarch's surprise (or frustration, based on the photo). Eugenie was just 23 years old at the time — we all make social faux pas that we then deeply overthink afterward, right?

Eugenie wasn't all fun and games, however, when it came to her grandmother. Reflecting on the queen's dedication to the crown in a 2018 interview with Vogue, Eugenie called Elizabeth her greatest role model. "She's been on the throne 65 years," the princess said, before adding, "The dedication that she and our grandfather have put towards this country is incredible."

Such admiration was paid yet again by Eugenie following the queen's death, releasing a joint statement alongside her sister. "You were our matriarch, our guide, our loving hand on our backs leading us through this world," they wrote. Still, this photo makes us smile.

Being a working royal typically includes meeting with foreign and domestic leaders, organizations, and groups, and Prince William knows this reality all too well. Despite almost always presenting a professional demeanor while on the job, William has been known to show his sense of humor on occasion, and this was certainly the case when he met with the English Women's Soccer Team back in 2015.

The team had just traveled back to the United Kingdom from Canada, where they competed in the World Cup and came in at an impressive third. As it was the most successful outcome a British soccer team had ever achieved until that point, it's no wonder that the team was invited to a breakfast reception at Kensington Palace — which just so happened to include the apartment that was William's longtime London residence. Amid the breakfast, the ladies gathered around for a selfie and made sure to grab a none-the-wiser William in the background, cheesing and pointing to the prince as they did so. Posted by team member Karen Bardsley on Twitter, the picture quickly made the rounds.

"The croissants though," Bardsley captioned the picture, no doubt referring to the yummy treats presented at breakfast. Met with a chorus of comments, some fans were happy to see William's playful side. "Must be the best 'selfie' ever!! Great work girls — on the picture ... And the pitch," one fan wrote.

Princess Anne might be the most stoic of royals, but even her mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, knew how to have a laugh. In fact, her subtle sense of humor came out to play on a number of occasions, and she often struck royal watchers with her wit. Visiting the BBC was no exception, and when the queen photobombed two presenters while they were on the air, it was truly a sight to see.

The queen ventured to the BBC's new broadcasting center when it opened back in 2013, dedicating the new extension of the British news institution. Taking over 10 years to complete, the opening and official dedication was a big deal, but that didn't stop Elizabeth from having some fun. Walking the halls of the new building, the monarch photobombed anchors Sophie Long and Julian Worricker, appearing in the middle of the broadcasting screen and smiling as she did so. Standing out in her staple bright wardrobe, the queen looked gleeful as she pulled off the photobomb to the then-clueless presenters.

The visit wasn't all fun and games, however. Elizabeth took to the mic — as she had done throughout her time on the throne — and gave a live address via BBC Radio 4. Recalling the first time she visited the BBC's headquarters with her husband, Elizabeth reflected on the changing pace of the industry and how much the BBC had evolved.

Something must've been in the air surrounding the royals in the early 2010s, because there were a number of silly snaps and hilarious photobombs that took place — seemingly one right after the other. Shortly after Queen Elizabeth II dropped a photobomb on the BBC, Prince William was at it, this time darting into a photo and giving fans a very blurry (and hilarious) image.

William was at the Commonwealth Games (a sporting event much like the Olympics that takes place every four years) when he crossed paths with Sir Chris Hoy, an Olympic biking champion. The two met throughout the competition and toured Scotland Street Village together (think the Olympic Village, but specifically for the Commonwealth Games), and they visited the Scottish team's quarters. William and Hoy proceeded to meet with Princess Catherine and Hoy's wife, Sarra, and seemed to enjoy a pleasant interaction.

It was only after the formalities were concluded (and when Hoy was posing for a picture with New Zealand's rugby coaches) that William jumped into the background and flashed a thumbs up and a wide grin. Coach Trevor Shailer told the Mirror that it was only after the photo was taken and he looked at it later that he even realized William had jumped into the background.

Of all the events that royals take part in, weddings are certainly the most formal. From Diana Spencer and then-Prince Charles to Prince William and Princess Catherine, royal weddings are events of the decade and bring in a massive amount of viewers. When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married in 2018, all eyes were on the couple as the bride walked down the aisle. Looking absolutely radiant, Meghan glided down the church towards her groom, but the formality of the event didn't stop one of the page boys from having a giddily excited photobomb moment.

As the composed bride was making her way into the church, cameras from NBC's "Today" caught the little boy showing a wide, toothless grin. No doubt thanks to the gorgeous ceremony space, the music, or just the entirety of the event, the page's reaction quickly went viral and the photobomb moment was just too good to be true.

"This set the feeling of the wedding. Joy!!" one commenter wrote on Twitter of the little boy's reaction. "His face suddenly lit up with the music and the scene and brought this adorable smile to his face. Really cute!!" another noted of the moment. "One happy kid. This he will never forget. Imagine hearing that music[.] beautiful place," a third commented. Meghan may have been the bride, but this little guy almost stole the show.

Some royal photobombs are intentional, while others capture the members of the firm by surprise. It was certainly the latter situation when 14-year-old Jack Surgenor was able to photobomb Queen Elizabeth II and capture a selfie with her — the ins and outs of the situation were, unsurprisingly, thoroughly reported on at the time.

The queen was visiting St. George's Market in Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the time the photobomb took place. Her visit was already a "groundbreaking shift from tradition" according to the Belfast Telegraph, given that she decided to walk amid the crowds and greet people on their own turf. As she was walking up and down the aisles of the market, Surgenor jumped out in front of her and snapped the photo, much to her surprise. An eye witness later recounted what happened to the Daily Record.

"She was walking through the market with the secretary of state, and people were cheering and clapping, and suddenly this wee fella zipped right over to her, said something and got her in a 'selfie,'" the source said. "Nothing happened; they just kept on walking. It was a bit of fun, so no one was cross, and he wasn't taken away." It may have been a risky move, but fans got a great photobomb moment to revel in.

Throughout her time as a royal, Princess Catherine has spearheaded a number of causes, but one closest to her heart and own identity is that of children and family needs. In 2019, she worked alongside patron Family Action and visited the charity at Peterley Manor Farm in Buckinghamshire; in perfect timing for the holidays, the princess was surrounded by Christmas trees and decorations.

Meeting with families that are aided by Family Action, Catherine spoke to the organization's leaders and patrons, all while picking out Christmas trees and helping decorate the "elf workshop" that had been established on the grounds. Crowded by photographers during her visit, Catherine was almost upstaged by 3-year-old Freddie Rusbridge, who photobombed the princess in an iconic moment that quickly made its way onto social media.

Teasing the photographers and sticking his tough out, Rusbridge became the star of the show, all while Catherine was chatting away with families and staff members and making holiday decorations. At one point, the little guy almost completely blocked the princess from the cameras, foiling the press pool's plans for the day in the best way possible. Catherine might be a duchess — and now, a princess — but even she isn't immune to a classic photobomb and a 3-year-old boy's antics.

It seems as though the Commonwealth Games bring out the playful side of the royals, because it was at the 2014 event when Prince Harry, not dissimilar to his brother Prince William, dropped a photobomb while taking in the sporting events. Sitting behind three officials from New Zealand during the games, Harry flashed two thumbs up and a cheeky grin from two rows of seats behind, creating a pretty iconic image.

The delegations from New Zealand — rugby sevens coach Sir Gordon Tietjens, Sport Manawatu chief executive Trevor Shailer, and Massey University professor Emeritus Gary Hermansson — posed for the shot when Harry jumped in, and like many other royal photobombs the posing participants were none the wiser.

Getting in on the fun, Massey University took to Twitter with the snap and posted it to a chorus of likes and comments, writing, "Royal photobomb alert! Prince Harry with our Prof. Emeritus Gary Hermansson at #Glasgow2014." "That's gold!" one fan commented in response to the cheeky photo, while another wrote, "Royals crack me up!" And one even took aim at Harry's stance on Twitter (he's adamantly said that he would never join the platform) by writing, "Prince Harry's photo bomb — from the Prince who claims he doesn't need Twitter! Great pic."

Love or hate the royals, we can all agree that Queen Elizabeth II was one of a kind. Not only was she incredibly dedicated to the crown, but she also had a playful spirit that came out on occasion, and slipping into a selfie is a perfect example. Australian national field hockey team members Jayde Taylor and Brooke Peris were at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 when they decided to snap a picture together, hoping to time it as the queen appeared at the games. Instead of simply getting the monarch in the background, the players were shocked to see Elizabeth smile and pose for the camera! 

In an interview with NBC's "Today," they reflected on the iconic guest appearance. "Brooke [Peris] and I planned it so that when she came out the door she would be behind us,” Taylor said. "And then she came out and smiled at the camera. We were in the right spot at the right time."

That wasn't the only highlight of their day: After the Australia team won their game over Malaysia, the players were invited to meet the queen and celebrate their victory. "We were warming down on the second pitch after our game and the queen came out to meet [Madonna Blyth, Australian women's hockey captain],” Taylor said. "The security guard led us all round and we got to meet her.

It's always a big deal when a royal couple travels internationally, but all eyes were on Prince William and Princess Catherine when they made their way down under back in 2014. Bringing an infant Prince George with them, the royal trip was full of photo opportunities of the couple looking absolutely smitten. Of course, it was very reminiscent of King Charles III and Diana Spencer's trip with a young Prince William back in the day.

Though William and Catherine were surely swarmed with professional photographers on a daily basis throughout their tour, it was a photobomb on Catherine's part that hit the headlines. While in New Zealand, a group of teenagers crowded around and managed to get a selfie with the Duchess of Cambridge, and she showed off a wide smile while with the crowd. Wearing a gorgeous red skirt suit from Luisa Spagnoli, Catherine looked lovely and incredibly relatable as she jumped into the photo.

Naturally, the photo made its way to Twitter and people had nothing but positive things to say about Catherine and her good spirit. "Love this selfie photobomb by Kate Middleton. She looks amazing!!!" one fan wrote on the social media platform. "This is by far the best photo of Kate Middleton I've ever seen," fawned another. If Catherine already didn't have a bunch of fans, she definitely gained more thanks to this photo.

As the monarch of Great Britain for 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II rubbed shoulders with just about everyone. From foreign leaders to adoring fans to journalists, the queen made herself very accessible, and one reporter took advantage of an opportunity to snap a photo with her.

NBC's "Today" makes quite the celebrities out of its anchors, and star Dylan Dreyer couldn't help but snap a selfie with the queen in the background. Dylan just so happened to be outside a meeting room amid the Royal Ascot where Elizabeth was seated. Who wouldn't take advantage of that opportunity, right? Taking the photo in 2017 — with the monarch dressed in her iconic all-green ensemble — Dylan posted the cheeky photobomb on social media years later in honor of the queen's 95th birthday.

"Happy 95th birthday to Her Majesty the Queen! I wonder if she remembers that time we hung out at Royal Ascot..." Dylan wrote on Instagram. Well-wishers were quick to comment on the moment, with one writing, "OMG I love it. I would totally take a selfi [sic] with her Majesty," and another posting, "If she had IG she would be posting this same pic but from her side." As her 95th birthday marked the queen's first after Prince Philip's passing, Dylan's shoutout was extra sweet.

It's not every day that you see a royal walk into a bar, but that was the case when King Charles III dropped into a pub for a beer back in 2017. And not only did the royal stop in and get captured in a photobomb, but rock band Kasabian just so happened to be the group the now-monarch dropped in on.

The picture, which quickly made it to Twitter, showed guitarist Serge Pizzorno biting into his lunch at the Stoke-Sub-Hamdon pub when Charles walked behind him, inadvertently creating this photobomb moment. Clearly tickled by the snap, the band proceeded to share the photo on their official Instagram page with the caption, "Photo bombing zone... #HRH." The visit seemed rather low-key despite the famous patrons (both royal and rocker included), and the landlady even talked to Somerset Live (via Marie Claire UK) about the encounter with the king after the fact.

"He was very generous with his time and it was just a brilliant day," she said about the royal, noting that while she knew he would be dropping by, the pub regulars didn't. "We knew he was coming but it was [a] lovely surprise for everyone else." And, for us royal watchers, we got a fun photobomb moment to add to the collection.