Europe's Royal Families Captured at Sea

Prince Philip, the former Duke of Edinburgh, who died on April 9, is photographed here with boat designer Uffa Fox sailing at the Cowes Regatta on board Coweslip, a Flying Fifteen keelboat that was presented to the Queen and Prince Philip as a wedding present in 1949. Prince Philip was known to go sailing frequently on Coweslip with Fox. Together, they won the Britannia Cup in 1952. The husband of Queen Elizabeth II was an avid sailor; he began his training for life at sea while studying at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, and from the age of 18 he joined the Royal Navy and served from 1939 until 1951. During World War II he served with distinction in the Mediterranean and Pacific Fleets. Before his death, he held the title of Lord High Admiral of the Royal Navy.

In October 2018 the Duke and Duchess of Sussex embarked on their first overseas tour as a married couple, visiting Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. The trip was timed to coincide with the Invictus Games, which began on October 20 and of which the Duke of Sussex is a patron, and with sailing making up a key part of the event it wasn't long before the couple found themselves out on the water.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge both spent time sailing as children and have carried this passion into their adult lives. Here, the Duchess of Cambridge is seen at the helm, competing on behalf of The Royal Foundation at the King's Cup regatta. The event was hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Cowes in 2019. Catherine was presented with the wooden spoon after her team finished last in the event while her husband Prince William – whose team finished joint third.

Prince George, the firstborn son of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is also spotted at the inaugural King’s Cup regatta alongside grandfather Michael Middleton.

Pierre Casiraghi, son of Princess Caroline of Hanover and grandson of Princess Grace of Monaco, is seen on board of Malizia during the 36th Copa Del Rey Mafre Sailing Cup in 2017 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.Founder Pierre is also Vice-President of the Yacht Club de Monaco which is right behind Team Malizia.

A keen sailor, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark is seen here with crewmate Chris Meeham competing in the Men's 35+ Tasar class sailing during day seven of the 2009 World Masters Games at Woollahra Sailing Club in Sydney, Australia.

Dutch Princess Felicia, Princess Anastasia, Prince Lucas and Princess Marilene are pictured on their yacht De Groene Draeck (The Green Dragon) attending the final day of SAIL Amsterdam 2015.

The Spanish royal family has long been known for its sailing prowess and former monarch King Juan Carlos I is no different. In 1972, Juan Carlos even competed at the Olympics in the Dragon class racing and finished in 15th place. The Spanish royal has owned a number of yachts in his lifetime including the 41.5 metre Fortuna, one of the fastest yachts in the world, which has since been renamed Foners. Here he is seen helming another of his yachts, the Judel and Vrolijk-designed sailing yacht Bribón XV.

Prince Felipe, son of Juan Carlos and present king of Spain, is a keen sailor as his father, who also had competed in the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992 and scored at sixth. Every summer, Felipe takes part in Copa Del Rey Mafre Sailing Cup in Mallorca. Usually , he works as a skipper and his father takes the role of captain.

An avid yachtsman, King of Norway Harald V competed in sailing at the 1964, 1968, and 1972 Olympic Games. In the Sailing World Championships, he received silver in 1982, gold in 1987, and bronze in 1988.

At the European Championships, he won gold in 2005 and continues to participate in regattas each year to this day. It is worth to mention that he met Sonja, a sailing champion, later known as the queen of Norway, also in a regatta.