Dancing Queens (and Kings!): Royal Rhythm Through the Years

Keep calm and boogie on — the royal family has been doing it for decades

01 of 11

Prince William Feels the Beat in Belize

Britain's Prince William (R) dances with a Garifuna women at Hopkins Village, Belize on March 20, 2022.
Prince William. JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP via Getty

During a March 2022 Platinum Jubilee tour of the Caribbean with wife Kate, the future king busted out his dance moves during a visit to Hopkins, the cultural center of the Garifuna community in Belize. "They really know how to dance," local Laura Cacho told PEOPLE. "They took the culture from me and I didn't need to teach them. They're so good at it. They were excellent."

02 of 11

Elizabeth Promenades with Prince Philip

queen elizabeth and prince philip
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Two years before her coronation, then-Princess Elizabeth grabbed her partner — her husband of four years, naturally — for a spin during a royal tour of Canada in 1951. The pair dressed the part (complete with a neckerchief for Philip!) as they enjoyed an old-fashioned square dance in Ottawa.

03 of 11

Prince Harry Goes with the Flow

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In 2010, a then-25-year-old Prince Harry wore his mission on his "Haiti We Care" T-shirt at a fundraising concert for victims of a devastating earthquake. Gamely volunteering to show the crowd — including viewers on television in Barbados — his moves for a charitable donation, Harry eventually took to the stage to try his hand (and hips!) at a calypso dance.

04 of 11

Prince Charles Finds His Groove

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Like father, like son! During a trip ashore while serving in the Royal Navy in 1973, a 24-year-old Charles celebrated Bahamian independence with a festive calypso in the capital city of Nassau. Years later the Prince of Wales revealed he also had a penchant for the thumping beats of disco.

05 of 11

Meghan Becomes Duchess of the Dance

mmeghan markle
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Anything a man can do, she can do backward — and in wedges! Four months after welcoming son Archie, Meghan Markle dazzled during a visit to Nyanga Township with Prince Harry in Cape Town, South Africa. The couple had "great" skills, local resident Nosisana Nama told PEOPLE in 2019. "They've got their African moves."

06 of 11

Camilla Goes Strictly Ballroom

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The Duchess of Cornwall demonstrated her cha-cha-cha with Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood at a primary school in London's West End as part of a 2009 National Osteoporosis Day project to encourage young people to strengthen their bones through dance and activity.

07 of 11

Princess Beatrice Takes a Dip

princess beatrice
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Beatrice danced with a friend in London at the 2013 Adventure in Wonderland Ball, which raised funds for the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity.

08 of 11

Princess Margaret Meets Ballet Royalty in a Pas de Deux

princess margaret
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A passionate patron of the arts, Margaret channeled her love of ballet into a friendship with Rudolf Nureyev. In June 1977, six days after the London Coliseum premiere of Nureyev's Romeo & Juliet, which the legendary ballet dancer choreographed especially for the Queen's Silver Jubilee, the two shared the dance floor at a Royal Gala.

09 of 11

Princess Anne Has a Highland Fling

princess anne
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Before the Princess Royal married Timothy Laurence, Anne donned tartan and cut a rug in London with her naval-commander fiancé at the 1992 Royal Caledonian Ball, an annual event benefiting Scottish charities that's considered the oldest charity ball in the world.

10 of 11

Princess Diana Stuns with a Slinky Surprise

princess diana
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Diana left an audience of 2,500 at the Royal Opera House speechless after a 1985 duet with dancer Wayne Sleep to Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl." She had kept the routine under wraps until its debut at a benefit. Decades later, actors Emma Corrin and Jay Webb re-created the routine for season 4 of Netflix's The Crown.

11 of 11

Will & Kate Shake It Up

prince william and kate
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Perhaps saving the best for last, Prince William and Kate Middleton spent their final day on a 2012 tour of Southeast Asia savoring local flavors and traditions — including Polynesian-style grass skirts and floral headwear — in Tuvalu while representing Queen Elizabeth on a trip to the South Pacific for the monarch's Diamond Jubilee Tour.

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