A History of the Royals Hanging Out with the Spice Girls: Photos

Wannabe charmed? Check out these pics of the British Royal Family hanging with the Spice Girls through the years

01 of 19
Melanie Brown is made an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by the Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace
Melanie Brown and Prince William. PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Say you'll be there! In London on May 4, 2022, Prince William honored Melanie Brown — a.k.a. Scary Spice — with an MBE, and even asked her if the Spice Girls were planning a reunion.

It's not the first time the royal family has tried to spice up our lives again: the former girl group and the monarchy go way back, intertwined in recent pop culture history.

Here, a look at the many times Baby, Scary, Sporty, Posh and Ginger crossed paths with Wills, Harry and their family.

02 of 19
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Tim Graham Picture Library/AP

In 1997, the new-on-the-scene singers — Melanie Chisholm (Sporty), Geri Halliwell (Ginger), Emma Bunton (Baby), Melanie Brown (Scary) and Victoria Adams (Posh) — were on hand to celebrate the 21st anniversary of The Prince's Trust charity at the Manchester Opera House, and posed with Prince Charles after their performance.

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WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM - MAY 09: Prince Charles Meeting Geri Halliwell, Stephen Fry And Jeniffer Aniston. (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
Tim Graham/getty

All you need is positivity: Halliwell sported quite the excited expression in May of 1997 while saying hello to Prince Charles and standing next to Jennifer Aniston.

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SPICING IT UP
John Stillwell/AP

The women traveled to South Africa for a meeting with Prince Charles and South Africa's president, Nelson Mandela, in November of 1997.

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WALTER DHLADHLA/AFP/Getty

A young Prince Harry could hardly stop grinning while joining the band (and his father) in South Africa on Nov. 1, 1997.

06 of 19
The Prince Of Wales & Prince Harry Visit South Africa

They just walked in and made Harry smile.

07 of 19
Spice Girls in concert in Johannesburg, South Africa on November 01, 1997.
Chip HIRES/Gamma-Rapho via Getty

The 13-year-old prince found himself right between Baby and Posh, holding hands with the latter.

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Rex

The singers have even met the queen, greeting her at the Royal Command Performance at Victoria Palace Theatre in London on Dec. 1, 1997.

09 of 19
The Prince of Wales arrives with the young princes Harry (far left) and William arrive for tonight's (Monday) gala premiere of the film Spice - The Movie, starring the Spice Girls, at the Empire, Leicester Square
Prince Harry, Prince William and Prince Charles at Spice World premiere. John Stillwell - PA Images/PA Images via Getty

Princes Harry, William and Charles got all dressed up in late 1997 for the premiere of Spiceworld: The Movie at London's Leicester Square. At the event, Halliwell famously broke protocol and "patted" Prince Charles' bum, she later revealed to The Times. "We're all human," she said. "There was a lot of nervous energy — young women, happy antics." (Who do you think you are, Geri?!)

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The Prince of Wales with former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell on his arm with a card presented to him backstage, after the Prince's Trust Comedy Gala at the Lyceum Theatre in London. (Photo by John Stillwell - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
John Stillwell/getty

At The Prince's Trust Comedy Gala in October of 1998 — which unofficially marked Prince Charles' 50th birthday — Halliwell hung with Charles backstage.

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The Duchess of York, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, and the Spice Girls at Earls Court
Dave Hogan/Getty

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have rubbed elbows with the girl group, too: here, the tweens joined mom Sarah Ferguson backstage at a London concert in December of 1999.

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The Prince of Wales, right meets pop stars Ronan Keating, Victoria Beckham and her footballing husband David Beckham at the Princes Trust Capital FM Party in the Park 2000, London, July 9th, 2000. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/WireImage)
Anwar Hussein/WireImage

In 2000, Posh Spice was joined by a very special guest for her meeting with Prince Charles at The Prince's Trust Capital FM Party in the Park: her new husband, soccer star David Beckham.

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LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 08: Party In The Park Pop Concert [rock Concert] For The Prince's Trust Charity Prince Charles Shaking Hands With Emma Bunton Of The Spice Girls. (Photo by Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images)
Tim Graham/getty

Bunton shook hands with Charles in the summer of 2001 at yet another concert for The Prince's Trust in London.

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LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 14: (NO PUBLICATION IN UK MEDIA FOR 28 DAYS) Singers and former Spice Girls Emma Bunton and Geri Haliwell (R) present Prince Charles, Prince of Wales with a paintbrush at a Buckingham Palace Garden party held in honour of celebrity Ambassadors and staff of The Princes Trust on July 14, 2006 in London, England. (Photo by POOL/ Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images)
Tim Graham/getty

At Buckingham Palace in 2006, Bunton and Halliwell shared a laugh with Prince Charles at a garden party celebrating The Prince's Trust.

15 of 19
British soccer player David Beckham, left, and his wife, British fashion designer Victoria Beckham arrive at Westminster Abbey for the Royal Wedding in London. (Photo by Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images)
Brooks Kraft LLC/Getty

David and Victoria Beckham were among the A-list guests at Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in April of 2011.

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Investitures at Buckingham Palace
PA Images/Sipa USA

Six years later, Prince William presented Beckham with her OBE during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace in the spring of 2017.

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WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM - MAY 19: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Victoria Beckham and David Beckham attend the wedding of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England. Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales marries Ms. Meghan Markle in a service at St George's Chapel inside the grounds of Windsor Castle. Among the guests were 2200 members of the public, the royal family and Ms. Markle's Mother Doria Ragland. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

The Beckhams were back on the guest list in May of 2018 as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said "I do."

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LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 31: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall meets Author Geri Horner during a reception for winners of the Queen's Commonwealth essay competition 2019 at Buckingham Palace on October 31, 2019 in London, England. The Duchess of Cornwall, Vice-Patron of The Royal Commonwealth Society, attends on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen, Patron of The Royal Commonwealth Society. The worlds oldest international writing competition for schools was founded in 1883 to promote literacy, expression and creativity among young people throughout the Commonwealth. (Photo by Jeff Spicer - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
jeff Spicer/Getty

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, has mingled with members of the pop group, too, most recently with Halliwell in October of 2019 at a reception for the Queen's Commonwealth essay competition winners at Buckingham Palace.

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Melanie C aka Sporty Spice and Princess Beatrice of York attend a dinner to celebrate the new alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet store
David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for alice + olivia

Princess Beatrice reunited with Mel C in May of 2022 at an alice + olivia store opening in London.

So, is the friendship between the Spice Girls and the royals just a phase? Or will it be around forever? Our guess: It's not the end.

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