EXCLUSIVE: How Tom Cruise's Poignant Princess Diana Bond Made Him a Royal Family Favorite

Tom Cruise's enduring friendship with Britain's royal family can be traced back to a poignant connection with Princess Diana, which has since developed into a close bond with her son Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

The Hollywood star, 64, was seen taking Catherine's hand at the recent London premiere of Digger, echoing his chivalrous gesture at the 2022 premiere of Top Gun: Maverick.

But Cruise's royal relationship stretches back to meeting Diana at the 1992 premiere of Far and Away and later inviting her, William, and Prince Harry to the set of Mission: Impossible in 1995.

A royal source claimed: "Tom's connection with the family didn't begin at a gala or through some calculated Hollywood networking exercise. It goes back to Diana and a period when William and Harry were still children. That history gives the relationship an emotional dimension that is difficult to manufacture.

"William remembers Tom as somebody associated with a very happy experience involving his mother. The visit to the Mission: Impossible set became one of those childhood memories that survived everything that followed, particularly the tragedy of Diana's death.

"Over the years, Tom has remained respectful rather than trying to exploit that association. William genuinely enjoys his company, while Catherine has always found him charming and considerate. There is an ease between them now that comes from knowing each other over a long period."

The insider noted, "Tom understands the boundaries around the royal family. Offering Catherine his hand might create photographs and headlines, but within their relationship it is simply characteristic of how he behaves around her. There is genuine warmth there."

Diana was 31 when she met Cruise, then 30, alongside his then-wife Nicole Kidman, 25, at the Far and Away premiere. Three years later, Cruise hosted Diana and her sons during their visit to the Mission: Impossible set.

Cruise attended Diana's funeral at Westminster Abbey in 1997 alongside figures including Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.

His relationship with William, 44, subsequently developed around shared interests including movies, aviation and flying.

Cruise has also hosted private screenings for the Prince of Wales and appeared at major royal celebrations.

William acknowledged his admiration at this year's BAFTA Film Awards, saying: "I've got to be careful because I'm a little biased to a particular person. But Top Gun 2, for instance, is one of the most incredible films I've watched in a long time."

William said his children, Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, eight, shared his enthusiasm.

For me, watching with my children, they absolutely adore it," he revealed. Cruise has been similarly effusive about William and Catherine, 44.

He declared: "I just love them. They are lovely people, and I have great respect for them."

A royal source claimed: "Flying is probably the subject that really allows William and Tom to forget their respective worlds and simply talk as two enthusiasts. "William's experience as a pilot means he understands aviation beyond being fascinated by glamorous aircraft, and Tom is famously immersed in flying himself in his personal life and for his movies.

"They can get extremely detailed about aircraft, training, and what it actually feels like to be at the controls. Tom loves meeting somebody who understands that language, while William clearly enjoys having a Hollywood friend who shares an interest that has been an important part of his own life."

The insider explained, "There is inevitably plenty of Top Gun talk, but their conversations go much further than movies. They'll compare experiences, discuss different aircraft and happily disappear down an aviation rabbit hole.

"It's one of the things that transformed an acquaintance into a genuine friendship.

"Flying gives them common ground completely removed from royal engagements or Hollywood premieres – and both can talk about it for hours."