The Best Royal Moments of 2017

From ELLE

It's been another eventful year for the British royal family, from Princess Charlotte's first royal curtsy to the 70th wedding anniversary of her great grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. There's also another royal baby on the way for Kate Middleton and Prince William, along with a royal wedding to look forward to in 2018. Below, a look back at some of the more exciting moments from Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, and beyond.

1. When Kate, Will, and Harry raced each other to promote mental health (February 5)

As part of their Heads Together organization, Their Royal Highnesses hit the running track at Olympic Park with folks training for the 2017 London Marathon. While Kate was the only one properly dressed for the race, she finished last.

2. When Kate and Will looked like a million bucks at the 70th EE British Academy Film Awards (February 12)

Kate’s off-the-shoulder gown, complete with a gorgeous bouquet print, was made possible by one of her favorite fashion houses, Alexander McQueen. Prince William looked pretty great in his tux, too.

3. When Queen Elizabeth met an elephant (April 10)

Yes, that’s the Queen feeding a banana to Donna the elephant. The Duke of Edinburgh was also on hand to help open the new Centre for Elephant Care at Whipsnade Zoo, the UK's biggest zoo, in Bedfordshire, England.

4. When Kate was photographed curtsying to Queen Elizabeth on Easter Sunday (April 16)

As per royal etiquette, one should curtsy upon seeing the Queen for the first time on any given day. This meeting generally takes place behind closed doors, so royal enthusiasts welcomed this photograph, which also showed William bowing, with open arms.

5. When William and Lady Gaga FaceTimed to talk about mental health (April 18)

As part of Kate, William, and Harry’s latest #oktosay series with their Heads Together campaign, William and Lady Gaga opened up about their personal struggles in a four-minute video call, which was shared on the singer and the Prince’s social media platforms. “For me, the little bits that I’ve learnt so far is that it’s really important to have this conversation. You won’t be judged,” William said in the clip.

6. When Kate, William, and Harry cheered on runners at the 2017 London Marathon (April 22)

Imagine getting a (foam) high five from the Duchess of Cambridge while clocking in another mile! At one point, a runner squirted some water at Prince William, who definitely did not see the droplets coming.

7. When the Cambridges unveiled a new Princess Charlotte photo ahead of her 2nd birthday (April 30)

Courtesy of budding photographer, the Duchess of Cambridge.

8. When Prince George and Princess Charlotte stole the show at their Aunt Pippa’s wedding to James Matthews (May 19)

Just squealing over these precious photos for the 29th time.

9. When Prince George and Princess Charlotte stole the show at the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony (June 17)

Charlotte and George looking at planes is too cute for words.

10. When Kate arrived at the Royal Ascot celebrations in white lace (June 19)

Yes, that’s Alexander McQueen again.

11. When Canadian Governor General David Johnston broke royal protocol and touched Queen Elizabeth’s arm (July 19)

During a Canada 150 celebration in London, Johnston found himself in the middle of a teeny tiny scandal when he was spotted grazing the royal elbow of Queen Elizabeth II as they made their way down some carpeted steps. As he later explained to CBC News, “I’m certainly conscious of the protocol. I was just anxious to be sure there was no stumbling on the steps... It’s a little bit awkward, that descent from Canada House to Trafalgar Square, and there was carpet that was a little slippy, so I thought perhaps it was appropriate to breach protocol just to be sure there was no stumble.”

12. When Princess Charlotte delivered her first-ever royal curtsy (July 19)

It happened moments before Charlotte boarded the plane in Warsaw, Poland, for Berlin with her brother George and their parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Upon landing in Berlin, Charlotte also perfectly executed her first diplomatic handshake. Well done, Princess!

13. When Kate and Will made pretzels during an official royal visit to Germany (July 20)

Yeah, they should keep their day jobs.

14. When Prince George had this reaction while checking out helicopter models in Hamburg, Germany (July 21)

Adorable and relatable.

15. When Kensington Palace released a new photo of Prince George ahead of his fourth birthday (July 21)

16. When Prince Philip made his final solo appearance at an official event (August 2)

Back in May, Philip announced his retirement after completing more than 22,000 solo appearances over 70 years ever since becoming a member of the British royal family. For his final solo appearance, the 96-year-old bowed out with a tribute from the Royal Marines on a rainy day at Buckingham Palace.

17. When Kate announced that she was pregnant with baby number three (September 4)

In a statement shared on its social media channels, Kensington Palace confirmed that the Duke and Duchess were “very pleased” to announce George and Charlotte’s future sibling. According to The Daily Mail, Kate is due around April or May 2018.

18. When George posed with his dad for this perfect first day of school photo (September 7)

4-year-old George reported for his first day of full-time education at Thomas’s Battersea while accompanied by his dad, Prince William, and Helen Haslem, the head of lower school. His little walk to school was later shared on Kensington Palace’s official Instagram account.

19. When Prince Charles hung out with some sheep (September 14)