Prince William and Queen Elizabeth II’s Sweetest Moments Together Through the Years: See Photos

Prince William has long held his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II in high esteem through the years.

[ami-related id="2013436" url="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/royal-familys-most-heartwarming-quotes-about-queen-elizabeth-ii/" title="Royal Family's Most Heartwarming Quotes About Queen Elizabeth II" target="_blank" thumb="false" imgsrc="https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Royal-Family-Most-Heartwarming-Quotes-About-Queen-Elizabeth-II-Landing.jpg?quality=55&strip=all" imgid="2013433" format="gallery" flag="" channel="1"]

“At the time [of her accession] she was a woman in a man’s world, but she’s done it brilliantly,” the Duke of Cambridge gushed over the late sovereign, who died in September 2022, during an ABC News interview in May 2012. “I still think she’s just my grandmother because when I was younger and my parents used to slap my hand if I picked my nose or if I was running around screaming … I [learned] that when I was around her I needed to be a little bit more low-key and a little bit more polite.”

Elizabeth’s eldest son, Prince Charles, was first in line for the British throne throughout her reign. The former RAF pilot also served as his father’s first heir. William — who wed Duchess Kate in April 2011 — has since tackled many important tasks on behalf of the monarchy to prepare for his eventual reign as king.

[ami-related id="1682385" url="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/queen-elizabeth-ii-dead-world-leaders-celebrities-react/" title="Justin Trudeau, Emmanuel Macron and More React to Queen Elizabeth II’s Death" target="_blank" thumb="false" imgsrc="https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Queen-Elizabeth-II-Death-Celebs-React-Feature.jpg?quality=76&strip=all" imgid="2416776" format="gallery" flag="" channel="1"]

“The wonderful thing about Kate and William is that they remain focused and calm even during their most challenging times,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in January 2020. “[The queen] couldn’t be prouder. She takes pride in being on top of everything but recognizes that it’s time to hand off some responsibility.”

At the time, the insider noted that Elizabeth had told both William and Kate — who share sons Prince George and Prince Louis and daughter Princess Charlotte — that she was impressed by their hard work at public appearances and outings.

[jwplayer eNyiibWB-zhNYySv2]

“[Charles] can’t do it all himself,” the source explained. “He trusts his son and daughter-in-law implicitly, and marvels at what a breath of fresh air they’ve been.”

The Duchess of Cambridge had an equally tight bond with her grandmother-in-law, which started when William first brought his college sweetheart home.

[ami-related id="1512857" url="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/a-breakdown-of-the-royal-line-of-succession-in-photos/" title="A Breakdown of the Royal Line of Succession" target="_blank" thumb="false" imgsrc="https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/royal-line-of-succession-landing.jpg?quality=55&strip=all" imgid="1512841" format="gallery" flag="" channel="1"]

“She was very welcoming [when they first met],” the military veteran recalled during a post-engagement interview in 2010 of Kate’s introduction to the queen at his cousin Peter Phillips’ wedding. “She knew it was a big day and everything was going on with Peter and Autumn [Kelly, his now ex-wife, but] she had wanted to meet Kate for a while, so it was very nice for her to come over and say hello. We had a little chat and got on very well.”

Kate noted at the time: “She was very friendly.”

Elizabeth ultimately “died peacefully” at Balmoral Castle in September 2022, according to a statement from the palace. Several hours before her death was announced, William drove to the late regent’s Scottish residence with Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Countess Sophie for one last visit.

Scroll below to revisit William’s sweetest moments with his grandmother through the years:

Prince William has long held his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II in high esteem through the years.

[ami-related id="2013436" url="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/royal-familys-most-heartwarming-quotes-about-queen-elizabeth-ii/" title="Royal Family's Most Heartwarming Quotes About Queen Elizabeth II" target="_blank" thumb="false" imgsrc="https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Royal-Family-Most-Heartwarming-Quotes-About-Queen-Elizabeth-II-Landing.jpg?quality=55&strip=all" imgid="2013433" format="gallery" flag="" channel="1"]

“At the time [of her accession] she was a woman in a man’s world, but she’s done it brilliantly,” the Duke of Cambridge gushed over the late sovereign, who died in September 2022, during an ABC News interview in May 2012. “I still think she’s just my grandmother because when I was younger and my parents used to slap my hand if I picked my nose or if I was running around screaming … I [learned] that when I was around her I needed to be a little bit more low-key and a little bit more polite.”

Elizabeth’s eldest son, Prince Charles, was first in line for the British throne throughout her reign. The former RAF pilot also served as his father’s first heir. William — who wed Duchess Kate in April 2011 — has since tackled many important tasks on behalf of the monarchy to prepare for his eventual reign as king.

[ami-related id="1682385" url="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/queen-elizabeth-ii-dead-world-leaders-celebrities-react/" title="Justin Trudeau, Emmanuel Macron and More React to Queen Elizabeth II’s Death" target="_blank" thumb="false" imgsrc="https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Queen-Elizabeth-II-Death-Celebs-React-Feature.jpg?quality=76&strip=all" imgid="2416776" format="gallery" flag="" channel="1"]

“The wonderful thing about Kate and William is that they remain focused and calm even during their most challenging times,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in January 2020. “[The queen] couldn’t be prouder. She takes pride in being on top of everything but recognizes that it’s time to hand off some responsibility.”

At the time, the insider noted that Elizabeth had told both William and Kate — who share sons Prince George and Prince Louis and daughter Princess Charlotte — that she was impressed by their hard work at public appearances and outings.

[jwplayer eNyiibWB-zhNYySv2]

“[Charles] can’t do it all himself,” the source explained. “He trusts his son and daughter-in-law implicitly, and marvels at what a breath of fresh air they’ve been.”

The Duchess of Cambridge had an equally tight bond with her grandmother-in-law, which started when William first brought his college sweetheart home.

[ami-related id="1512857" url="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/a-breakdown-of-the-royal-line-of-succession-in-photos/" title="A Breakdown of the Royal Line of Succession" target="_blank" thumb="false" imgsrc="https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/royal-line-of-succession-landing.jpg?quality=55&strip=all" imgid="1512841" format="gallery" flag="" channel="1"]

“She was very welcoming [when they first met],” the military veteran recalled during a post-engagement interview in 2010 of Kate’s introduction to the queen at his cousin Peter Phillips’ wedding. “She knew it was a big day and everything was going on with Peter and Autumn [Kelly, his now ex-wife, but] she had wanted to meet Kate for a while, so it was very nice for her to come over and say hello. We had a little chat and got on very well.”

Kate noted at the time: “She was very friendly.”

Elizabeth ultimately “died peacefully” at Balmoral Castle in September 2022, according to a statement from the palace. Several hours before her death was announced, William drove to the late regent’s Scottish residence with Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Countess Sophie for one last visit.

Scroll below to revisit William’s sweetest moments with his grandmother through the years:

William joined his grandmother at Andrew’s wedding to Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey. 

 

William gave the queen a sweet peck on the cheek during a joint appearance at the Royal Ascot.

The queen sat beside William and Kate during their official wedding portrait with the rest of the royal family.

William and Kate brought their eldest children, George and Charlotte, to visit their “Gan-Gan” at Balmoral.

William showed his grandmother and Prince Philip, who died in April 2021, around the East Anglian Air Ambulance in Cambridge, England.

 

Elizabeth and William welcomed Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the former president of Germany, to Buckingham Place for lunch.

Elizabeth posed for a royal family portrait with William, Charles and George.

The duke leaned in to have a private conversation with his grandmother during a London outing.

William and his brood joined the late monarch on the Buckingham Palace balcony during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations. 

William and Kate planned to relocate from their Kensington Palace residence to Windsor in order to be closer to Elizabeth.

“The whole family [is] extremely excited to be moving to Windsor, not just because it will bring them closer to [the queen] but it’s a perfect happy medium that brings them closer to London than if they chose to settle full time in Berkshire or Amner Hall,” a source told Us at the time.

William was photographed arriving at Balmoral shortly before the long-reigning political figure’s death was announced.

William issued a statement about the queen’s death several days after the palace’s initial announcement.

“I have lost a grandmother. And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of the queen’s wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade,” he wrote in a statement via Instagram, noting how glad he was that his children also had fond memories with her. “She was by my side at my happiest moments and she was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real.”