Royals Pictured Beside World Landmarks: The Queen, Kate Middleton, Princess Diana & Others

Apr 30, 2021 by apost team

While the British royal family maintains residences in the United Kingdom — including across England and Scotland — they are often seen traveling across the globe, mostly due to official visits and royal tours that they partake in. While the average person might be lucky to travel abroad once a year, the royals often see multiple countries in one trip, and they're certainly no strangers to being in foreign lands. 

Queen Elizabeth II is an avid traveler who has been to many countries around the world. In fact, she's been on so many state and official visits since she became the queen in 1952, that she's officially the "most widely traveled head of state in history." She doesn't even need a British passport when she travels overseas, since all British passports are given out in her name. Imagine that!

Another family member who acts as a frequent ambassador to the queen, and who will one day be king himself, is her grandson Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. He has undertaken many trips and now often travels with his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

But they're not the only royals who have traveled extensively. From Prince Philip to Princess Diana, many other family members have been far and wide on planet Earth. Whether it's walking on the Great Wall of China or admiring the Pyramids of Giza, the royals sure know how to sightsee. So we've compiled this list of notable trips they've been on, as told through photographs of them next to world-famous landmarks. Let's take a look!

Well known for holding titles, Queen Elizabeth II has proven time and again that she's an incredibly strong leader who isn't afraid of uncharted territory. That was on full display when in 1986 she became the first British monarch ever to visit China. Accompanied by her husband Prince Philip, the photos from that iconic trip depict the two of them strolling along the Great Wall of China on a sunny day.

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Three decades later, the queen opted for a trip much closer to home when she and Prince Philip visited the top tourist attraction in Northern Ireland, the Giant's Causeway. Comprising approximately 40,000 black basalt columns that protrude from the sea, it's a UNESCO world heritage site.

The late Prince Philip, who was born in Greece into the Greek, as well as Danish, royal families, returned to his birth country in 1964 on a trip with his two elder children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne. Here, they're pictured during a royal visit to the Parthenon in Athens.

In 1992, the same year she and Prince Charles separated, Diana, Princess of Wales, found herself on a number of trips around the world. When the couple was still together in February of that year, they undertook a trip to India. However, while Prince Charles attended to diplomatic duties in the city of Agra, Princess Diana found herself on a tour of the magnificent Taj Mahal. This photo of her sitting alone in front of the 17th-century marble mausoleum has become iconic in its own right, and perhaps a signifier of the couple's split later that year.

Just a few months later in May, Princess Diana found herself in Egypt, where she visited the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid of Giza is also the oldest and the only wonder that's remained largely intact. As with her Taj Mahal photo, Diana was once again photographed at the landmark alone, prefacing her and Charles' split.

Nearly two decades later in April 2009, Charles, Prince of Wales found himself in Italy with his second wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. When in the country's capital Rome, he was sure to spot the Colosseum, another remnant from the ancient world. While touring the House of Augustus, Charles posed for a photo in which the iconic landmark was captured in the background.

Ten years later in 2019, Prince Charles and Camilla visited Germany's capital city, Berlin. A visit to Berlin wouldn't be complete without seeing the Brandenburg Gate, one of the icons of the city. But Charles and Camilla saw more than just the landmark — they were welcomed by a crowd who were waving flags from both Germany and the United Kingdom.

Three years into their marriage, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge embarked on a royal tour of Australia. While there, they visited Uluru, a large sandstone rock formation in the heart of the country. Decades before, in 1983, Prince Charles and Diana also visited the landmark. Additionally, only two other royal visits have ever taken place at the sacred site — by Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, and Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Crown Princess Maxima of the Netherlands.

Fourteen years after Princess Diana visited the Taj Mahal, her son Prince William and Kate Middleton arrived at the same location. Choosing to end their royal tour of India in April of that year at the sacred mausoleum, which is also known as the "monument of love," the photo of the couple harks back to Diana's iconic picture there.

Another famous landmark the duke and duchess visited was the Eiffel Tower in the city of love, Paris. During a trip in March 2017, the couple was photographed in the Trocadero square standing side by side, with the world-famous monument behind them. Following their photoshoot, they took part in a game of rugby.

Before leaving their official roles as working royals in Jan. 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also set out on royal visits of their own. In Oct. 2018, as part of an official 16-day tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tonga, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle found themselves sailing across Sydney Harbour, as they took in the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. It was on this trip that the couple announced Markle was pregnant with Prince Archie.

Were you aware of how many places the royals had traveled to? Have you visited any of these landmarks? If you found this article inspiring, be sure to pass it on to those you know!