A History of Tom Cruise Meeting the Royals

Turns out Tom Cruise’s gala moment with Prince William was far from his first encounter with the British royal family: see the old photos

Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Princess Diana in 1992. TIM GRAHAM PHOTO LIBRARY/GETTY

In 1992, a young Tom Cruise and then-wife Nicole Kidman greeted Princess Diana at the London premiere of Far and Away on July 30.

02of 11Princess Diana’s FuneralNicole Kidman, Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks attend Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997. ANWAR HUSSEIN/WIREIMAGE

Tragically, five years later, Cruise and Kidman attended Diana’s funeral at Westminster Abbey in London, along with Tom Hanks and more of the royal’s famous friends.

03of 11Prince PhilipPrince Philip and Tom Cruise in 2017. JONATHAN BRADY/GETTY

Cruise was on hand in March 2017 to chat with Prince Philip at the 75th anniversary of the Outward Bound Trust at Buckingham Palace.

04of 11Prince William, Kate and Prince GeorgeTom Cruise at EURO 2020 in July 2021. CARL RECINE/GETTY

Though they weren’t snapped in the same shot, at the 2020 Euro final football match between Italy and England in July 2021, Cruise (seated near Kate Moss and David Beckham, among others) had a brief interaction with Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince George a few rows away.

05of 11Windsor Horse ShowTom Cruise.

On May 15, 2022, Cruise manned the microphone at the performance of the Platinum Jubliee Celebrations at the Windsor Horse Show, part of an ITV television special.

06of 11Prince William and Kate MiddletonPrince William, Kate Middleton and Tom Cruise in 2022. DAN KITWOOD/POOL/AFP/GETTY

Four days later, on May 19, Cruise was a gracious host to William and Kate at the London premiere of Top Gun: Maverick.

07of 11Prince WilliamTom Cruise and Prince William in 2022.

Cruise and Prince William, both aviation enthusiasts, reportedly chatted about their flying experiences at the event.

“We have a lot in common,” Cruise said of the prince at the premiere, according to My London. “We both love England and we’re both aviators, we both love flying.”

08of 11Kate MiddletonTom Cruise and Kate Middleton in 2022. STEVEN PASTON/PA IMAGES VIA GETTY; KARWAI TANG/WIREIMAGE

Cruise and Kate had another run-in just two months later at the women’s final of the 2022 Wimbledon tennis tournament in London, where he sat a few rows behind her.

09of 11King CharlesKing Charles and Tom Cruise. YUI MOK – WPA POOL/GETTY; JC OLIVERA/GETTY

Cruise played a role in the Coronation Concert, which took place in the days following King Charles’ crowning ceremony. In a video cameo, Cruise gave the monarch a shoutout while in a fighter jet.

“Pilot to pilot, Your Majesty, you can be my wingman any time,” Cruise said.

10of 11Prince WilliamTom Cruise and Prince William at the London Air Ambulance Charity Gala on Feb. 7, 2024.

DANIEL LEAL – WPA POOL/GETTY

Cruise and Prince William reunited in February 2024 at the London Air Ambulance charity gala. The royal told the actor, “I haven’t got my Top Gun slippers on,” referencing the fancy footwear he rocked at the 2022 premiere of Top Gun: Maverick.

11of 11Prince WilliamTom Cruise and Prince William at the London Air Ambulance Charity Gala on Feb. 7, 2024.

DANIEL LEAL/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY

During his speech at the event, Prince William directly addressed Cruise during the fundraising appeal for new aircraft.

“I should also take this opportunity to give a mention to my — our — fellow pilot, Tom Cruise,” the royal said. “Tom, huge thanks for supporting us tonight. And Tom, if you wouldn’t mind not borrowing either of the new helicopters for the next Mission Impossible, it would be appreciated. We have all seen on our screens that — how can I put it — you seem to have a different take on ‘normal wear and tear’ to the rest of us. It’s not the kind that buffs out.”