Tom Cruise Has Unique Relationship with British Royalty
The Top Gun star has joined King Charles III's coronation concert for a reason.
It was recently announced that Tom Cruise will be joining other A-listers at the Coronation Concert for the newly crowned King and Queen of the United Kingdom this Sunday, May 7. He will be part of a number of videos that are set to reveal some facts about Charles III that the general public is unaware of.
The Hollywood star's participation is no coincidence or mere whim, as Cruise actually has a long history with the British royal family.
Princess Diana
Tom Cruise's first encounter with the royal family came when he and Nicole Kidman, then married, met Princess Diana at the London premiere Far and Away in 1992. According to Fox News, the actor and the princess became close after that, and Diana's death five years later came as a shock to Cruise.
'She was a magical person and really engulfed you with her personality,' the actor told Fox News after attending Diana's funeral.
Prince William
Princess Diana reportedly loved Top Gun and passed that love on to her sons, William and Harry. Prince William went on to serve as a pilot in the Royal Air Force, which provided an excellent foundation for his friendship with Cruise.
Two months before the actual premiere of Top Gun: Maverick in 2022, Prince William, his wife Kate Middleton, and other members of the royal family were given a special screening, which the actor also attended.
'We have a lot in common,' Cruise said of William at the premiere. 'We both love England, and we're both aviators. We both love flying.'
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth
Just days before Maverick hit the theaters, Tom Cruise attended an event celebrating Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee. During the backstage interview, he recalled meeting Prince Philip in 2017, four years before the Duke of Edinburgh passed away. Cruise said they bonded over their mutual love of aviation.
Saddened that she didn't meet Cruise during the Platinum Jubilee event, the Queen invited the A-lister for a special tour of Windsor Castle, where they apparently hit it off after tea and photos, according to The Times. Queen Elizabeth reportedly allowed Cruise to fire a ceremonial cannon and fly in by helicopter next time. Sadly, their friendship was cut short when the Queen died on September 8, 2022.
Sources: Fox News, Bloomberg, The Telegraph, The Times.