Princess Kate's 'Serious' Face Goes Viral

Princess Kate's reaction when told to pose for a "serious" photo has amused fans after footage from a 2016 mental-health awareness campaign with Prince William and Prince Harry resurfaced on TikTok.

Kate, William and Harry launched the "Heads Together" campaign under their Royal Foundation in 2016. The aim was to "change the national conversation on mental well-being" by partnering with a group of charities and organizations working in different areas of the field.

The campaign was launched with the announcement that the group of charities would run together under the Heads Together banner in the 2017 London Marathon. This was accompanied by a launch video featuring William, Harry and Kate, filmed at Kensington Palace in the English capital.

Princess Kate Heads Together
Princess Kate wears a headband at Kensington Palace in London for the "Heads Together" campaign launch, April 21, 2016. Footage from the launch video has gone viral on TikTok. Nicky J Sims/Getty Images for Royal Foundation

Uploaded to TikTok by user @milfssb on July 8, an outtake from the launch video has featured in a new viral post, with William telling his wife and brother to pose for a "serious" photo after the royal trio were struck with a case of the giggles.

"This is a serious one, guys! A serious one," William can be seen telling his wife and brother in the clip, before Kate pulls a severe expression, cracking into a laughing smile.

Captioned "It was in fact...not a serious one...she's so me tho I always laugh in serious situations," the video also includes a compilation of clips from some of Kate's high-profile royal engagements in recent years. These include the coronation concert at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, and Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood "Shaping Us" symposium at The Design Museum in London in 2023.

@milfssb it was in fact...not a serious one...shes so me tho i always laugh in serious situations...not a good thing i need 2 fix that abt me u guys #fyp #katemiddleton #princessofwales #catherinemiddleton #princesscatherine #princewilliam #royalfamily ♬ original sound - Marie

The TikTok post has gained over 120,000 views on the social media site so far, and in excess of 27,000 likes and over 140 comments, many of which have praised Kate and her unserious expression.

"Obsessed with her she's such a queen," wrote one user.

"Her little smile before she tried to recollect herself," posted another, with a further comment reading: "Harry, Kate, William best trio."

So far in 2024, Kate has mainly stepped out of the public eye as she undergoes preventive chemotherapy treatment following a cancer diagnosis.

The princess announced her health issues in a public statement in March and, last month, provided a positive update. Kate said that, though she was not yet "out of the woods" and was still undergoing treatment, she felt well enough to begin working from home and to begin some public appearances over the summer.

The princess made her public return on June 15 for the Trooping the Colour celebrations in London. She received a warm response as she appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace alongside King Charles III, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

Do you have a question about King Charles III and Queen Camilla, William and Princess Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you.

About the writer


James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go