Prince William has 'quite a friendship' with A-lister who 'held private royal meeting'

Prince William's appearances with Tom Cruise go further than what the camera has shown, according to the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden. The Top Gun star has been pictured with King Charles' eldest son and his wife Kate Middleton on more than one occasion.

Back in 2022, he mingled with the royals at the premiere of his film Top Gun: Maverick as they walked the red carpet. Other pictures showed the 63-year-old holding onto Kate's hand, and also having a laugh with the future King and Queen.

In February 2024, Tom and William were seen joking together again, and posing for snaps together at London's Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner in London. According to Richard, the pair have "developed quite a friendship over the years" due to their shared love for aviation.

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Speaking on the Daily Mail Royals YouTube channel, he added: "Indeed, he and Catherine are said to be big fans of the Top Gun franchise, having attended the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick in 2022."

According to My London, Tom said of his friendship with the royals at the event: "We have a lot in common. We both love England and we're both aviators, we both love flying."

Richard also mentioned that the actor reportedly hosted a private screening of the film for the royal couple at Kensington Palace that same year.

Speaking of their appearance at the gala together, he continued: "So with Tom Cruise by his side, William made his first public comments about the King's shock cancer diagnosis at the gala dinner for London's Air ambulance charity, of which he is the patron."

Buckingham Palace announced that Charles had an undisclosed form of cancer in February 2024. Just weeks after this news was made public, Kate also revealed that she too was receiving treatment for cancer.

Addressing the crowd at the event at the time, the Prince of Wales said: "I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you, also, for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days. It means a great deal to us all.

"It’s fair to say the past few weeks have had a rather medical focus. So I thought I’d come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all!".

William went on to make a joke about Tom, who is known for his high-flying film stunts. He said: "Here in London, the current aircraft have served magnificently. But our capital city needs a new fleet.

"And we are up against time. The clue really is in the Appeal’s name. By September, we need the two new red birds - decked with the latest kit such as night vision - in our skies.

"I should also take this opportunity to give a mention to my - our - fellow pilot, Tom Cruise. Tom, huge thanks for supporting us tonight."

Tom's encounters with royals go all the way back to the early 1990s. Photos at the time show him meeting Princess Diana, and later attending her funeral in 1997.

In 2017, he was also seen chatting to the now late Prince Philip at the 75th anniversary of the Outward Bound Trust at Buckingham Palace.