Prince William And Kate Middleton Just Got A Surprising Gift From Tom Cruise
As the U.K.'s most important family, the royal family gets to enjoy some pretty luxurious perks. Of course, the queen gets to live comfortably in the 775-room Buckingham Palace, but other members are also offered luxurious historic homes to live in, per Insider. The royals also get their share of expense-free trips, opulent gowns and jewels, and even prestigious education.
But as celebrities in their own right, the royal family also enjoys many of the same perks as those in the entertainment industry. For example, Prince William and Kate Middleton often walk the red carpet to attend the BAFTAs, several royals have attended movie premieres in the past, and they all brush elbows with famous actors and singers.
Turns out, being a member of Britain's royal family also allows you to see films well before they are released to the public. While movie fans have to wait until May to see the much-anticipated "Top Gun" sequel, some of the royal family were treated to a special showing.
William and Kate got a sneak peek of Top Gun: Maverick
The long-awaited sequel, "Top Gun: Maverick," doesn't release until May 27, but apparently, strings can be pulled for an earlier showing if you happen to be a royal. According to The U.S. Sun, Prince William and Kate Middleton were gifted an advanced screening of the film by none other than its star, Tom Cruise. Reportedly after learning that Prince William was a fan, Cruise arranged a private viewing for the royals, including Sophie Wessex and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
A source told The U.S. Sun that Cruise had greeted the royal crew at the showing and said he hopes they enjoy the film as much as he'd enjoyed making it. The insider also said, "Apparently, it was met with royal approval — not least because William has been a military pilot himself so it's pretty close to his heart." They continued, "It's also a mega-bucks film with some of the most incredible stunts ever performed on camera so it lives up to the hype."
It would seem that the royal family has a penchant for action movies, given by how much they love attending the "James Bond" London premieres over the years. According to royal expert Gyles Brandreth, the queen herself is a "James Bond" fan, at least of the older ones. He said (via Express), "She really did love all the early James Bond films – 'before they got so loud.'"