He’s known for playing Hollywood heroes, but tonight, Tom Cruise was Kate Middleton’s knight in shining armor.
The A-lister, 59, held out his hand to the Duchess of Cambridge, 40, as she navigated down a flight of stairs at the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick in London’s Leicester Square.
Cruise walked the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the red carpet and introduced them to his co-stars Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm and Miles Teller.
Reaching a small flight of stairs in front of the couple, Cruise immediately turned and shook hands with the Duchess, who was walking beside him.
Kate, looking stunning in a Roland Mouret column dress and black heels, reached out for extra support.
Your leading man! Tom Cruise, 59, held out his hand to the Duchess of Cambridge, 40, as she navigated a flight of stairs at the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick in London’s Leicester Square
Fast Friends! The Duchess of Cambridge and Tom Cruise appeared to hit it off at the Leicester Square premiere
passed out! The moment of chivalry was spotted by royal watchers, who praised the “charming” Cruise for helping Kate
The couple chatted happily as they walked down the red carpet to meet the rest of the cast.
The moment of chivalry was spotted by royal watchers, who praised the “charming” Cruise for helping Kate.
One tweeted: “Always a gentleman and never forgets how to behave in public.”
Another wrote: “Mr #TomCruise, the perfect gentleman. #PrinceWilliam the perfect date and #CatherineDuchessofCambridge the prom beauty.”
A third added: “Tom Cruise is the perfect gentleman to help Kate with the stairs!”
A fourth royal fan tweeted: “Tom Cruise will be ‘Prince Charming’ to the gorgeous Duchess of Cambridge!”
Elsewhere, Kate and Cruise shared a joke in front of the cameras, leading some to remark that he won them over with his Hollywood “charm.”
Cruise attended the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in Windsor over the weekend and said it was an “honour” to be a part of.
The Hollywood A-lister stepped in to help the Duchess as they headed to the glitzy gala screening of Top Gun
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined Tom Cruise and his co-stars Jennifer Connelly and Miles Teller as A-listers and British TV stars descended on London’s Leicester Square for the glitzy gala screening.
Kate, 40, looked radiant in a Roland Mouret off-the-shoulder column dress, a £2,300 Alexander McQueen clutch and £10,500 Robinson Pelham diamond star earrings as she made her glamorous entrance on the red carpet.
Meanwhile, Prince William, 39, demonstrated his sartorial flair in a midnight blue Alexander McQueen velvet tuxedo, tuxedo pants and velvet slippers embroidered with miniature fighter planes in a nod to the film.
After reaching the stairs in front of Kate, Tom turned and offered his hand to the Duchess, who wore heels
Permit me, Kate! Tom Cruise was on hand to help the Duchess of Cambridge as she walked the red carpet at the premiere
Kate didn’t slow her step, but gratefully accepted Cruise’s thoughtful offer of a hand and headed up the stairs
Two children who spoke to William and Kate revealed the couple’s own brood, George, Charlotte and Louis, were disappointed to miss the glittering screening.
Alfie Everett-Fletcher, nine, who met William at the cinema, said: “He asked me what I liked about the last film, what I liked, whether I liked jets and planes and motorcycles.”
Alfie said William told him he was a “huge fan” of the film and of “cars and stuff”.
His mother, Elise Everett, added, “He said they had the theme song for the film played with their kids.”
Alfie also said William told him his own children were “jealous” about missing the premiere.
Fast Friends! The Duchess of Cambridge shared a joke with Cruise as they chatted on the red carpet ahead of the premiere
The Duchess of Cambridge sent Tom Cruise a winning smile as he introduced the royals to his Top Gun co-stars
Tom Cruise introduced the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to his co-stars, including Jon Hamm, who shook Kate’s hand
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge speak ahead of the film with Top Gun: Maverick, starring Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly
Poppy Saunders, 11, said it was “really good” to meet Kate and give her a bouquet outside the auditorium, although she was “really nervous”.
She said, ‘I gave the flowers and shook hands and she said ‘Hello Poppy’. She also spoke a lot about how much the kids love the film.”
Her mother, Linsay Saunders, added, “She said she liked sweet peas because there were sweet peas in the flowers.”
Speaking of the young royals, Ms Saunders said Kate told them “they wish they were here tonight”. She added, “And I said, ‘Well, it’s a school night.’
Cruise, who attended the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations last weekend, introduced the royal couple to his co-stars Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm and Miles Teller.
Tom Cruise appeared to have the situation under control as he chatted with the Duke and Duchess and producer Jerry Bruckheimer
The Duchess of Cambridge chose a flattering black and white gown from the Roland Mouret archives for the occasion
Jon Hamm, best known as the star of Mad Men, bowed his head as he shook hands with the Duchess of Cambridge
Ahead of the premiere, Cruise, 59, said he and the Duke of Cambridge had “a lot in common” as he spoke of his admiration for the king.
‘We have a lot in common. We both love England and we’re both aviators, we both love flying,” he said.
The actor also expressed his delight at being back on the red carpet, saying, “I love what I do, I’ve always enjoyed it and I’m enjoying it even more now. “Especially after the last couple of years it’s quite extraordinary to have an event like this.”
Maverick, which has received rave reviews from critics so far, stars Hollywood star Cruise as US Navy aviator Pete Mitchell and comes 36 years after the 1986 original.
The Duchess of Cambridge was the picture of glamor in a black and white Roland Mouret gown for the premiere
The Duchess of Cambridge added a touch of sparkle to her look with a pair of sparkling star earrings
The Duchess of Cambridge chose a flattering black and white gown from the Roland Mouret archives for the occasion.
She styled the sleek monochromatic dress with a black clutch bag by go-to designer Alexander McQueen and a pair of classic pointed toe heels, just visible below the hem of her dress.
Kate completed the look with her stunning £10,500 Tsar Star earrings by British jewelery designer Robinson Pelham.
The royal mother-of-three wore her brunette tresses in an elegant parting and opted for dramatic dark eye makeup and slick pink lipstick.