Kate Middleton has a history of leaving people blown away simply by her presence, and Daniel Craig appears to have been yet another one falling victim to her charms.
According to royal editor Rebecca English via her official X handle, when he first got to meet her at the 2021 London premiere of the James Bond film No Time to Die, Craig reportedly greeted the Princess of Wales with the words:
You look jolly lovely!
Daniel Craig remarked ‘You look jolly lovely!’ when he saw the Duchess of Cambridge tonight. Very Bond! #NoTimeToDie 📸 @GettyImages @ChrisJack_Getty pic.twitter.com/kfRN6dO8U2
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) September 28, 2021
That’s surprising coming from someone who oozes an air of sophistication pretty much all the time. If anything, these reported words that the ever-so-suave 007 uttered while meeting Middleton for the first time are nothing short of giggle-worthy!
Fans Were Sure Kate Middleton Had Daniel Craig’s Heart Skipping a Beat
Kate Middleton. | Credits: Image by Ricky Wilson / Licensed under CCA 2.0 / Via Wikimedia Commons.
Since Craig is famed for the cool aura he exudes all the time, his seemingly blurting out this comment in front of Middleton brought in a lot of fan reactions.
While some fans reacted hilariously to it, with one suggesting it was a better choice of words, others couldn’t help but express how sure they were that the Bond star’s heart must have inevitably “skipped a beat” during his first encounter with the then-Duchess of Cambridge.
All in all, taking to X, here’s what they had to say:
Course he did😂👑
— Toria (@toriaa_h) September 28, 2021
Very “James Bond” of him 🙈😂
— E* (@walesroyall) September 28, 2021
Love it: shaken AND stirred I bet! 🍸❤️
— Merryn (@MerrynPyper) September 28, 2021
Well he knows a gorgeous woman, if he sees one. Catherine’s beauty is breathtaking. The way she looked tonight made me speechless. She is stunning. Sure Daniel’s heart skipped a little beat😍♥️
— Lea (@Lea_Rebekka_) September 28, 2021
Well he can hardly say “hubba hubba” 😂😂
— Greenfingers (@Greenfi98608863) September 28, 2021
He’s smitten
— mhatr (@mhatr1) September 28, 2021
Well, Craig may not have made it too evident, but fans were quick to notice, judging from the way he reacted, how he felt seemingly smitten with the Princess! But, of course, can you really blame him when Middleton is as stunning as she is?
Daniel Craig’s Other Meeting With Kate Middleton Sparked Quite the Buzz
Daniel Craig in a still from Spectre. | Credit: Eon Productions.
While his first meeting had fans pointing out how the Casino Royale actor apparently couldn’t keep up his mysterious aura around the Princess, when the two got to be in each other’s presence once again around two years later, it sparked quite the buzz. But not for ‘jolly’ reasons, because Craig seemingly forgot his royal etiquette this time around.
This happened at Wimbledon in 2023, when he was sitting with his wife, Rachel Weisz. Apparently, when Middleton greeted them in the stands, the actor took the royal’s hand in his, but neither he nor his wife got up and left their seats to greet her – he didn’t even take off his sunglasses!
Of course, the moment didn’t take long to garner a significant amount of flak online. Taking to Instagram, even royal columnist Richard Eden shared how he felt about it, writing,
This photograph makes me uneasy. While there may not have been space for Rachel Weisz to curtsy or Daniel Craig to bow, shouldn’t they have at least stood up to greet the Princess of Wales? Craig could have even gone mad and removed his sunglasses.
But, hey, netizens might as well give the guy a break. Judging from the photo posted by Eden, it looked like the actor was too bewitched and invested in his conversation with Middleton, so etiquette inevitably went out the window. Then again, in front of the Princess’s charms, you can’t really blame him!
What’s your take? Do you think Daniel Craig was actually caught off guard by Kate Middleton’s beauty? Share your perspective with us in the comments below!