As Prince William celebrates his birthday this weekend (21 June), nobody can forget one surprising balcony moment from Kate Middleton during a royal celebration last year.
Balcony appearances from theĀ royal familyĀ are very few and far between throughout the course of the year.
Only special occasions call for ‘the firm’ to get together on the famous Buckingham palace viewpoint, and wave to supporters.
Unfortunately,Ā Prince William‘s birthday isn’t a time where the family would traditionally do it.
However, weĀ didĀ get our fill of balcony appearancesĀ last weekend, for Trooping the Colour,Ā in celebration of the King’s official birthday.
Meanwhile, William was seen arriving at the Royal Ascot without his wife, who pulled out of the occasion this morning (18 June) in an attempt to strike the right balance as she resumes public-facing duties.


Prince William showcased his facial hair at today’s (18 June) Royal Ascot event (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
However, the mum-of-three made aĀ surprising comment during a key royal eventĀ in 2024 – and it was all to do with her husband’s facial hair.
During London’s annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony,Ā KateĀ was spotted on one of the palace’s several balconies alongside Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.
And according to human behaviour expert Nicola Hickling, she is a huge fan of William’s rugged look,Ā tellingĀ The Sun that she spotted Kate and Sophie gossiping about his beard during the procession.
Apparently, one moment saw Sophie ask Kate about William’s rather hairy aesthetic, asking, ‘What, you like a beard?’, to which Kate was reportedly seen admitting: “I find it quite rousing.”


Kate Middleton was seen giggling with Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Hicking claims Sophie then responded laughing, ‘You’re all better now’, to which Kate also began giggling.
But it wasn’t just Kate that was a fan of the new look, which he has seemingly kept in 2025.
One wrote at the time: “William with a tan and a beard!!!!”
Another said, ‘You both look amazing!!!!! Love the scruff W!!! Catherine you look stunning!!’, and a third added: “Great to Catherine again, and William unshaved haha, itās been years since weāve seen that, what a sight!”
One thing is certain – his birthday celebrations will not top last year’s, when he was dancing the night away at the Era’s tour show at Wembley Arena with his son,Ā Prince George, 11, and his daughter,Ā Princess Charlotte, 10.
The royals were invited toĀ Taylor Swift‘s show, and also got to go back stage to meet the superstar and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.Ā


A lip reader revealed the heartwarming thing Prince William whispered to Kate Middleton at the altar on their wedding day back in 2011.
Itās been a year since theĀ Princess of WalesĀ devastatingly announced her cancer diagnosis, no doubt marking one of the most difficult periods in the royal coupleās 14-year-long marriage.
The pair have since weathered the storm, with Kate revealingĀ she is in remissionĀ earlier this year.
But in a poignant visit to Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea where she received her own treatment, sheĀ opened up about the long term challengesĀ of her cancer journey, explaining: āYou think the treatment has finished and you can crack on and get back to normal, but thatās still a real challenge.


Kate Middleton and Prince William wed in 2011 (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
“The words totally disappear. And understanding that, as a patient, yes, there are side-effects around treatment but actually there are more long-term side-effects.”
WilliamĀ and Kate met in 2001 at St Andrews university in Scotland. They immediately struck up a close friendship and moved in together with two other friends the following year.
Their relationship became romantic at some point in 2002, and became public knowledge two years later.
Aside from a brief wobble when they split up for two months in 2007, it appears to have been smooth sailing since, with Prince William popping the question in 2010.
The ceremony on 29 April 2011 was a bank holiday, with 17.6 million people tuning in to watch everything unfold at Westminster Abbey.
Those watching along would have caught Prince William whisper something to Kate when she arrived at the altar, and thanks to a lip reader we now have an idea of what this might have been.


What did William whisper to Kate? (BBC)
Lip reader Tina LanninĀ toldĀ CBS she though William told Kate: āYou look lovely ā¦[unclear]… You look beautiful.ā
And that wasnāt the only exchange between the couple sheās shed light on.
In the wedding carriage after the ceremony, Lannin says William said to Kate: āI hope I remember … It’s mad, it’s mad! Oh my goodness it … really loudly here.ā
Later she appeared to tell him: āYou look happy.ā
Kate and William are now proud parents to Prince George, 11, Prince Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.
Recently, a royal expert opened up about howĀ the couple āfelt bruisedāĀ by the scandal around Kateās photoshopped Motherās Day picture this time last year.


Kate and William will soon celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary (DOMINIC LIPINSKI/POOL WPA/AFP via Getty Images)
A kill notice on the image was put out by many major image agencies due to concerns about photo manipulation, and with Kate undergoing chemotherapy it couldnāt have come at a worse time.
Aisla Anderson, former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth, told People: āIt was like being on a roller coaster for them⦠undergoing chemotherapy and trying to protect your children. It was like being in the middle of a tornado and not knowing when it was going to calm down.
āThere was a real sense then that they felt bruised by it.ā


A lip reader has claimed that Kate Middleton made a cheeky comment about her husband’s looks during a public appearance last year.
A conversation betweenĀ Kate MiddletonĀ and Sophie Wessex, deciphered by a lip reading expert, revealed exactly how the princess feels about her husband’s beard.
As theĀ royal familyĀ gathered at the Cenotaph for Remembrance Day in 2024, the pair could be seen deep in conversation ahead of the two minutes silence.
Both Kate and Sophie stood on the Foreign Office balcony to pay their respects during the event.
SpeakingĀ to theĀ Sun, lip reader Nicola Hickling, caught the two having a naughty chat about Prince William’s facial hair.


The princess was seen giggling after making the risquƩ comment. (WPA Pool/Getty Images)
According to the expert, Sophie could be seen asking the princess: “What, you like a beard?”
To which Kate replied: “I find it quite rousing.”
But the risquĆ© conversation didn’t stop there.
Sophie allegedly responded: “You’re all better now.”
Which was followed up by a chuckle from the pair.
But the lip reader also claimed to have spotted her critiquing the shape of her husband’s beard, despite her prior comments.
Kate reportedly said William’s facial hair was ‘never quite rounded’, to which Sophie claimed it was ‘a nice beard’ and that ‘it’s a lot better now’.
The Prince and his beard were seen out more recently at a public appearance at a school in Liverpool.


Kate noted that she found his beard ‘rousing’. (Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
He was spotted talking to children at St Nicholas Catholic Academy in the city centre, but has been notably praised for hisĀ ‘respectful’ response to one question he was asked.
Among the school kids was a year five student called Mohammed, who was particularly excited about meeting the royal.
In footage which has recently emerged onĀ social media, he could be seen asking William: “Are you the king?”And in a respectful nod to his father,Ā King Charles, the Prince responded: “No I’m not, I’m his son! What’s your name?”
Carrying on the conversation with his new buddy, William added: “Nice to see you! You had a good day at school?”
And most impressive of all – Mohammed even managed to bag a selfie with the King-to-be.
People in the comments didn’t hold back with their praise, as one said: “I love the humility and respect in this moment. Instead of saying, āIām the prince’, he simply said, I am his son.
“That speaks volumes about the honour he has for his father. A beautiful display of grace and humility.”


Thousands of royal fans are expected to travel to London to celebrate the King’s official birthday this weekend (14 June) – but it was another royal that stole the show at last year’s event.
Prince Louis, seven, has been an icon since the moment he came out of the womb – always offering hilarious moments duringĀ royalĀ engagements.
And with thousands of spectators expected to flood the Mall to celebrate the beginning ofĀ King Charles‘ birthday celebrations this weekend, fans are hopeful they’ll another glimpse of the comedic young prince.
The day usually begins with a military event and procession, followed by the famous balcony appearance from the royals and, of course, the RAF flypast.
Trooping the Colour has marked the official birthday of the King or Queen for over 260 years, and it’s an event that has numerous moving parts.
The monarch always has two birthdays, and the procession this weekend does not celebrateĀ King Charles‘ actual date of birth – which falls on 14 November.
It will be his third Trooping the Colour as the monarch, but he hasn’t always been the centre of attention during the special day.
The 2024 event saw Prince Louis and his siblings –Ā Prince George, 11, and Princess Charlotte, 10 – join their parents on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
But there wasn’t just one sweet moment between the youngest Wales and his parents – there were plenty to enjoy.


Kate Middleton sweetly smiled at her youngest child, as he enjoyed the flypast (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Image)
Plane excitement
While on the balcony of the Palace, Louis shared a sweet moment with his parents.
He watched in awe as a flyover passed by, and appeared completely amazed by the red, white and blue smoke erupting from the jets.
According to lip reader Gaby Lane, Louis turned to his dad and said: āPapa, Papa, Papa, look at all that colour!ā
Proud mum Kate smiled at her youngest son and told him the planes had ‘dispersed’, LaneĀ toldĀ The Sun.
Sweet sibling moment
Louis interacted with his older sister Charlotte throughout Trooping the Colour, though the older sibling was looked to be ensuring her younger brother was on his best behaviour.
According to Lane, Charlotte told Louis to ‘put your hands down’ during the national anthem.


It seems the older sister was dishing out orders to her brother (Neil Mockford/GC Images)
Charlotte’s orders
The Princess of Wales stood with her three children at Horse Guards Parade, watching the proceedings for the King’s birthday go on.
Louis appeared to be enjoying himself as he danced along during the march of the Scots Guards to Highland Laddie.
Charlotte, on the other hand, was less than impressed.
Expert lip reader Nicola Hickling claimed Charlotte told off Louis, telling him: “You have to stop doing that. Watch the parade.”
Louis was having none of it though, as he defiantly responded: “I won’t,” to which Charlotte apparently sternly told him: “Do as you’re told.”
HicklingĀ toldĀ The Mirror that Louis then simply responded: “Nope.”
Chatting to mum
The young prince shared a sweet moment with Kate as they travelled down the Mall together in a horse-drawn carriage.
Louis was astonished by the amount of people who had gathered for the royal event, and pointed out the crowds to the Princess of Wales.
LaneĀ toldĀ The Sun that Louis said: “Look over there ma.”
āRight, look at that,ā Kate replied, according to Lane.
How cute!


Prince William and Kate Middleton broke royal protocol during an overseas tour 2016, despite being warned of the ‘dangers’.
The PrinceĀ andĀ Princess of WalesĀ have personal protection officers watching their every move.
Their security team are usually stood subtly on standby during royal engagements, and do their upmost to keep senior members of the family safe.
However, during one trip almost a decade ago, theĀ royalĀ couple opted to ditch their security andĀ travelĀ to one particular location solo.
In 2016, the couple went on a tour of India and Bhutan, where they visited the Taj Mahal, attended a Bollywood gala and played cricket with children.
But it was for a specific visit to a children’s homeless shelter, that the couple opted out of bringing security.


Prince William and Kate Middleton pose in front of the Taj Mahal on April 16, 2016 in Agra, India. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Pool/WireImage)
Sanja Roy, co-founder of the Salaam Baalak Trust, took the pair to meet children at its centre in New Delhi railway station.
The children there are some of the poorest and most vulnerable, and are largely victims of physical and sexual violence, as well as trafficking and gang exploitation.
Due to the sensitive nature of their visit, the royals decided that they wanted to attend without their security present.
SpeakingĀ to theĀ Daily Mail, Roy said: “When William and Catherine came to see this project, [representatives] called saying, ‘Theyāre happy to come without security’.
“I tried to dissuade them, saying, ‘No can do – itās too dangerous. Just donāt come’.
“But Will and Kate said, ‘No, we really want to’.”


Kate and William presented with flowers as they bid farewell at Paro Airport before boarding their flight to Agra for their visit to the Taj Mahal on April 16, 2016 in Paro, Bhutan (Photo by Heathcliff O’Malley-Pool/Getty Images)
The co-founder of the trust had been put off from her experience with other British VIPs.
He noted: “We’d had Tony and Cherie Blair come before, they did this whole thing with our street kids.
“It was just a circus. I didn’t want a circus for the kids. The Press came. It was just not nice.”
However, it was a different outcome for the royal visit.
“But here, William and Catherine, they were so wonderfully respectful,” he added.
While in Bhutan, the two also hiked up to Tiger’s Nest monastery, tried archery, and met with fellow royals King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema.
The couple made the decision to do this tour alone, but took their first tour as a family of four just months later.
Kate and William took their eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, to Canada in September.
Prince Louis, now seven, was born just two years later in 2018.