Kate Middleton and Prince William at the Earthshot Prize: Photos

london, england october 17 in this exclusive image released today on october 20, 2021 prince william, duke of cambridge and catherine, duchess of cambridge are seen together backstage during the inaugural earthshot prize awards 2021 at alexandra palace on october 17, 2021 in london, england photo by chris jacksongetty images

(Image credit: Chris Jackson)

published 21 October 2021

Prince William and Kate Middleton hosted the much-talked-about Earthshot Prize in London this past weekend, awarding funds to five winners who are working to fight the climate crisis.

Guests were asked to "consider the environment" when picking their outfits, so we saw Middleton rewear her lilac gown from the 2011 BAFTAs, and her husband sport a dark green velvet suit (not to mention Emma Watson in upcycled wedding dresses), but as is inherent in big public-facing events, we didn't really get to see what the atmosphere was like that night from the posed photos alone.

Enter: a series of three gorgeous candid black and white photos shot by Getty royal photographer Chris Jackson and released on Oct. 20. The photos beautifully capture the mood of the evening, and show the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sharing intimate moments that look absolutely full of love.

Here is the duke looking back at his grinning wife:

And here is the duchess tenderly placing a hand on her husband's back as they gaze at each other:

The third photo shows Prince William looking pensive backstage:

london, england october 17 in this exclusive image released today on october 20, 2021 prince william, duke of cambridge is seen backstage during the inaugural earthshot prize awards 2021 at alexandra palace on october 17, 2021 in london, england photo by chris jacksongetty images

The royal couple shared the photos on Instagram, with the caption, "Behind the scenes at the first ever @EarthshotPrize Awards." They credited "@chrisjacksongetty for The Royal Foundation."

Royal fans were as in awe of the photos as you'd expect. "Like a scene from a fairytale," someone commented. "How lovely to see genuine love and affection," observed someone else. This is truly heartwarming stuff, folks.

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.