Iconic moments on Buckingham Palace’s balcony: from royal wedding kisses to Prince Louis’ antics

This is the earliest picture we can find of Queen Elizabeth II appearing on the iconic balcony. The then Princess Elizabeth (left) would have been ten at the time of the photo and is seen wearing white gloves.

Buckingham Palace has seen several coronations, including that of the late Queen’s father, King George VI. The newly crowned monarch is seen surrounded by his family as he waves at the assembled crowds.

Following the end of World War II, the then Prime Minister Winston Churchill was invited by the royals to join them from Buckingham Palace’s balcony. The statesman would later become Elizabeth’s first prime minister.

It’s become a tradition for newly married royal couples to greet the public on Buckingham Palace’s balcony. And following their 1947 nuptials, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip waved to the assembled crowd.

Young royals have been stealing the show on Buckingham Palace’s balcony for decades. In this 1951 photo, Princess Elizabeth can be seen trying to get the attention of the then Prince Charles ahead of the signature flypast.

In 1952, the Palace’s balcony saw a new monarch, with Queen Elizabeth II making her debut. The royal beams with pride as she’s joined by her family.

Charles once again was the centre of attention in 1953 when the young royal gave a very powerful salute for the gathered crowd. His sister, Princess Anne, is in a bonnet.

The late Queen’s youngest son, Prince Edward, made his Buckingham Palace balcony debut when he was very young indeed. The monarch held her sleeping son, who was swaddled in a blanket.

Princess Diana and the then Prince Charles had the wedding of the decade in 1981 and after their Westminster Abbey nuptials the couple headed to Buckingham Palace to greet throngs of spectators.

The late Princess of Wales was always a ray of sunshine on the iconic balcony, and this was certainly the case in 1982 when she arrived in a green dress while heavily pregnant with her first child, Prince William.

The young royals were out in force in 1985, and here Prince William, Zara Tindall and Lady Davina Windsor all looked adorable as they peered out of the balcony.

The cheeky antics of the young royals have always entertained other members of the family, and here the late Queen can be seen giggling as a young Prince William entertains her.

Prince Harry was incredibly cheeky during some of his early appearances at Buckingham Palace and as he was held aloft by his mum, Princess Diana, he couldn’t help but stick his tongue out.

It wasn’t just Harry who was a cheeky chappie in 1988, as Prince William could be seen burying his head in his hands ahead of the flypast.

An amusing moment happened in 1990, when the late Queen was seen pointing her finger at her eldest son, Prince Charles, perhaps giving him a royal telling off.

It’s not often that the royals are left surprised, but they were as awestruck as everyone else in 2005 as Britain marked the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. Alongside the traditional flypast, hundreds of poppies were also released. Prince Philip in particular looks amazed at the sight.

Prince William and Prince Harry have had their ups and downs during their relationship, but they enjoyed a lighter moment in 2007 as seen here.

As always, the British weather is one of the most unpredictable things out there, so the late Queen served as her own weather forecaster in 2007, when she held her gloved hand out to check for rain.

It was Prince William and Kate’s turn to kiss on the iconic balcony following their 2011 wedding. However, it was the pair’s bridesmaid, Grace van Cutsem, who stole the show with her expressions as the bride and groom locked lips.

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations were incredible and were topped off with an appearance from the monarch on the balcony. In this photo, she can be seen bonding with her granddaughter-in-law, the then Duchess of Cambridge.

The Queen’s birthday celebrations were the last public appearance for Kate ahead of giving birth to her first child, Prince George. The royal looked splendid in a pink outfit that hugged her growing bump.

Young Prince George made his debut at Trooping the Colour when he was just one! The future King of Britain had already perfected his wave as he left in the arms of his father.

Savannah Phillips, the eldest child of Peter and Autumn Phillips, seemed to have hands full with both Prince George and Princess Charlotte, and she even amusingly covered up her cousin’s mouth during the proceedings.

The monarch is joined by numerous members of their family during their balcony appearances. In 2018, to mark the 100th anniversary of the RAF, the late Queen was side-by-side with the Duchess of Sussex for the flypast.

Prince Louis has become the undisputed King of the Balcony Moment, and it all started in 2022 when the flypast proved to be a little too loud for the young royal. The prince was seen covering his ears and shouting out, much to the amusement of his great-grandmother.

King Charles made sure to follow tradition when it came to his coronation by making an appearance on the balcony. Despite the rainy weather, thousands still turned out to greet their new King.