Royal kisses for Valentine's Day

Everyone needs a bit of romance on Valentine's Day and what could be more romantic than the first kiss of a handsome prince and his beautiful princess?  The wedding day snog has become a royal tradition just about everywhere and Valentine's Day is perhaps the best moment to remember some of the most romantic royal kisses - little looks of love that promise so much.

The couple who couldn't stop kissing - Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and her new husband, Daniel, on their wedding day in June 2010

Victoria and Daniel of Sweden didn't stop kissing all through their wedding day, locking lips at every opportunity.  But they were following Frederik and Mary of Denmark who started snogging before they'd even left Copenhagen Cathedral and ended up setting what must be a record for royal PDAs in one day as they became man and wife in May 2004.

Another kiss for a beautiful bride - the new Crown Princess of Denmark and her husband make their balcony appearance after their wedding in May 2004

Not far behind them on the can't stop kissing front were Haakon Magnus and Mette-Marit of Norway who capped the perfect 21st century royal fairytale romance with an even more perfect kiss when they said their vows in Oslo in August 2001.

The Cinderella of Christiansand and her handsome prince get the perfect fairytale ending on their wedding day in August 2001

And Princess Madeleine of Sweden and her husband, Chris O'Neill, kept the kissing action going with lots of loved up looks and lip locks after their wedding in June 2013.

A pretty princess finally gets her happy ending - Madeleine of Sweden and her husband, Chris O'Neill, in Stockholm in June 2013

Then there are the couples who kept us waiting until the traditional balcony moment before delivering the royal kiss everyone wants to see.  In April 2011, the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge kept to the script and stepped out on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for a regal snog only to find themselves upstaged by a very cute and very grumpy little bridesmaid.

No one is looking at the kiss, all eyes are on Grace van Cutsem who has just had enough after a really long day - William and Kate are upstaged by their bridesmaid in April 2011

Maxima of the Netherlands set the bar high with a stunner of a snog with her new husband, Willem-Alexander, as they stepped out to greet crowds after their wedding in February 2002.

Willem-Alexander and Maxima of the Netherlands show the rest of the world how to do a royal kiss on their wedding day in Amsterdam in February 2002

Guillaume and Stephanie of Luxembourg also produced a famous bit of balcony romance when they greeted wellwishers after their wedding in October 2012.

A proper lip locker from the new Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg - Stephanie and Guillaume on their wedding day in October 2012

But some royal couples have been more coy. The then Prince Philippe of Belgium and his new wife, Mathilde, teased us with pecks on the cheek as they celebrated their wedding in December 1999.

Mathilde and Philippe's balcony kiss on their wedding day in Brussels in December 1999

But it was the decision of Felipe of Asturias and his new wife, Letizia, not to fully lock lips that surprised most royal wedding watchers - the couple had been quite possibly the most loved up royals ever before their marriage with lots of hand holding and longing looks.  But they made us all wait years for a proper public snog and on the day they got married, settled for a couple of forehead and cheek brushes.

Romance at the reception for the Prince of Asturias and his new princess - Felipe and Letizia marry in Madrid in May 2004

Prince Albert of Monaco and his wife, Charlene, locked lips on their wedding day but with the whole world wondering whether she'd turn up at all after all those reports of rifts in the royal romance as the marriage vows approached, the big kiss was a bit overshadowed.

Albert and Charlene of Monaco kiss at their religious wedding in July 2011

But perhaps the most famous royal kiss of all remains the one that started the tradition back in July 1981 when Prince Charles and the brand new Princess of Wales kissed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.  It was unexpected and gave the watching world what everyone thought was a fairytale ending to the most fairtytale romance of all.  The actual ending was very different.  But for that moment, Charles and Diana were the very image of royal love.  

A kiss is still a kiss, as time goes by - Charles and Diana on their wedding day when this one moment in time captured the world's imagination