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Prince William and Prince Harry’s Most Iconic Moments Together

4 minute read

It’s official: Prince William will be Prince Harry‘s best man at his May 19 wedding to Meghan Markle in Windsor, the same role that Harry played for William on the occasion of his 2011 marriage to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. But for William and Harry, who grew up together in the bright spotlight of media attention, their relationship is about much more than just trading Best Man places.

Here’s a look back at the two men and their history in front of the camera flash, from experiences abroad to film premieres and all those sports.

There’s no doubt they were adorable kids

William And Harry
Princes William and Harry with their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales in the garden of Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, 18th July 1986.Tim Graham—Tim Graham/Getty Images
Diana Princess of Wales and Charles Prince of Wales hold Prince Harry and Prince William on the deck of the Royal Yacht Britannia
Diana Princess of Wales and Charles Prince of Wales hold Prince Harry and Prince William on the deck of the Royal Yacht Britannia, during the Royal Tour of Italy on May 5, 1985 in Venice Italy.David Levenson—Getty Images
Diana, Princess of Wales with her sons, Prince William and P
Diana, Princess of Wales with her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, at the piano in Kensington Palace.Tim Graham/Getty Images
GBR: Queen Elizabeth II attends the Trooping of the Colour ceremony
Queen Elizabeth II with the young Prince William and Prince Harry on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the annual Trooping of the Colour ceremony in June, 1988.Anwar Hussein—Getty Images
SANDRINGHAM, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 25:  (NO UK SALES FOR 28 DAYS. EMBARGOED UNTIL 001 JANUARY 22, 2004) HRH Prince Harry (L) and HRH Prince William leave along with other members of the Royal family after attending a Christmas Day service St. Mary Magdelene Church on December 25, 2003 in Norfolk, England. (Photo by ROTA/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Prince Harry;Prince William
HRH Prince Harry (L) and HRH Prince William leave along with other members of the Royal family after attending a Christmas Day service St. Mary Magdelene Church on December 25, 2003 in Norfolk, England.Getty Images—2003 Getty Images

Whether playing piano, traveling around the world on royal tours or just goofing around — often near their mom, Princess Diana — William and Harry were always hams for the camera from a young age. It doesn’t hurt that, like Prince George and Princess Charlotte after them, their wardrobes were impeccably adorable.

Their travels together have led to some ideal photo ops

Prince William and Harry Visit Botswana - Day 2
Prince Harry and Prince William (R) hold an African rock python during a visit to Mokolodi Education Centre on June 15, 2010 in Gaborone, Botswana.Chris Jackson—Getty Images
Prince William And Harry Visit Lesotho - Day 2
Prince Harry and Prince William ride horses as they arrive to visit a child education centre on June 17, 2010 in Semonkong, Lesotho.Chris Jackson—Getty Images

Like the time they visited Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa on a joint trip in 2010 to visit a number of charitable projects their organizations were involved in — and to get a chance to hang out with an African rock python. (This begs the question: who wore it better, Britney or the two princes?) While there, they were also snapped riding through the Lesotho wilderness — an artful image.

You can often find them playing polo

Audi Polo Challenge - Day Two
Prince William the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry attend day two of the Audi Polo Challenge at Coworth Park on May 29, 2016 in London, England.David M. Benett—Dave Benett/Getty Images for Aud

 

Sentebale Polo Cup
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry play against each other in the Sentebale Polo Cup polo match at Coworth Park Polo Club on June 12, 2011 in Ascot, United Kingdom.Max Mumby/Indigo—Getty Images
Sentebale Polo Cup
Prince Harry and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge shake hands after competing against each other in the Sentebale Polo Cup polo match at Coworth Park Polo Club on June 12, 2011 in Ascot, United Kingdom.Max Mumby/Indigo—Getty Images

Sometimes they’re on the same team, and sometimes they’re on opposing sides. But either way, both are noted polo players and compete in multiple charity tournaments each year, William rocking his signature number 4 jersey whenever he mounts up.

Naturally, they’re Star Wars fans

The Duke Of Cambridge And Prince Harry Visit The "Star Wars" Film Set
Prince Harry (L) and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge try out lightsabers during a tour of the Star Wars sets at Pinewood studios on April 19, 2016 in Iver Heath, England. Prince William and Prince Harry are touring Pinewood studios to visit the production workshops and meet the creative teams working behind the scenes on the Star Wars films.WPA Pool—Getty Images
"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" - European Premiere - VIP Arrivals
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry meet BB-8 at the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" at the Royal Albert Hall on December 12, 2017 in London, England.David M. Benett—Dave Benett/WireImage

Being royalty has its privileges: they were invited to check out the Star Wars sets at Pinewood Studios in 2016, even meeting The Last Jedi star robot BB-8 and testing out some light sabres together, leading to this iconic image of the two princes at battle. Later, at the Star Wars: The Last Jedi red carpet premiere in London, they shared a moment basking in the glow of BB-8’s presence.

For formal events, they clean up nicely

The Royal Family Lay Wreaths At The Cenotaph On Remembrance Sunday
Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Prince Harry and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attend the annual Remembrance Sunday memorial on November 12, 2017 in London, England.Jack Taylor—Getty Images
The Obamas Dine At Kensington Palace
Prince Harry, US President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge pose as they attend a dinner at Kensington Palace on April 22, 2016 in London, England.Chris Jackson—Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II's Birthday Parade: Trooping The Colour
Prince Harry, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William Duke of Cambridge stand on the balcony during Trooping the Colour at The Royal Horseguards on June 14, 2014 in London, England.Julian Parker—UK Press via Getty Images
Investec Derby Day At The Investec Derby Festival
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (L) and Prince Harry attend Investec Derby Day at the Investec Derby Festival at Epsom Downs Racecourse on June 4, 2011 in Epsom, England.Dave M. Benett—Getty Images
The Royal Family Attends The Commonwealth Observance Day Service
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry attend the Commonwealth Observance Day Service on March 14, 2016 in London, United Kingdom.Gareth Cattermole—Getty Images

Whether they’re in matching top hats and tails, royal regalia or sharp suits for meetings with foreign dignitaries — like their pals Michelle and Barack Obama — William and Harry both know how to rock a full formal look.

They love their sports, whether competing or cheering in the stands

The Duke & Duchess Of Cambridge And Prince Harry Join Team Heads Together At A London Marathon Training Day
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry race during a Marathon Training Day with Team Heads Together at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on February 5, 2017 in London, England.WPA Pool—Getty Images
Olympics Day 6 - Cycling - Track
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry during Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Velodrome on August 2, 2012 in London, England.Pascal Le Segretain—Getty Images

It’s not just polo that they’re into. Everything from a friendly track race to a match of table tennis is on the agenda where William and Harry are concerned. And they’re great fans of the game: from the 2012 London Olympics to Harry’s noted patronage of the Invictus Games, they can often be caught cheering on other athletes from the stands.

Their leadership on mental health issues has been notable

The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge And Prince Harry Spearhead A New Campaign Called Heads Together To End Stigma Around Mental Health.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry are spearheading a new campaign called Heads Together in partnership with inspiring charities, which aims to change the national conversation on mental wellbeing.Nicky J Sims—Getty Images for Royal Foundation

Brits are known for keeping a stiff upper lip, but Prince William and Prince Harry have made a concerted effort to break open that notorious silence through campaigns to address mental health and grief, hosting events and attending panels to discuss their own experiences with mental health and supporting charities aimed at cracking open the conversation. Above, they kicked things off with a “Heads Together” campaign by wearing matching headbands.

And they’ve formed quite a squad with Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle

Commonwealth Day Service & Reception
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attend the 2018 Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 12, 2018 in London, England.Chris Jackson—Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Meghan Markle is not even a year into her public role as Prince Harry’s partner, but already she has become a seamless part of the young royal squad alongside Kate Middleton and Prince William. (For a while there, Harry was a cheerful third wheel to his elder brother and sister-in-law.) One of their first group outings, much-photographed, was this visit to Westminster Abbey for the 2018 Commonwealth Day service with the Queen. They’ve also partnered up to attend charity events already — with many more events with the four at the forefront in store.

William and Harry have plenty of wedding experience as a duo

Wedding Of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews
Britain's Prince Harry (R) and Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attend the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews at St Mark's Church on May 20, 2017 in Englefield Green, England.WPA Pool—Getty Images
Prince William, Prince Harry and other members of the Royal Family attend the royal wedding of HRH Prince Charles and Mrs. Camilla Parker Bowles.Anwar Hussein Collection/ROTA—WireImage
The Royal Wedding
Prince Harry and Prince William at Westminster Abbey, London, for the wedding of William and Catherine Middleton.Andrew Milligan - PA Images—PA Images via Getty Images

From the marriage ceremony of their father, Prince Charles, to Camilla Parker-Bowles at the exact same venue as Prince Harry’s upcoming wedding at St. George’s Chapel, to that of Pippa Middleton‘s recent marriage in 2017 and Prince William’s own grand production of a Westminster Abbey event in 2011, the two brothers are no strangers to partnering up for a wedding ceremony appearance. Perhaps all that practice will come in handy come the big day in May — and produce another iconic image or two for their photo scrapbook.

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Write to Raisa Bruner at raisa.bruner@time.com