Hannah Waddingham's royal connections as she becomes a ship godmother

British actress Hannah Waddingham's career success seems to have no limits at the moment - and she is now even set to become a godmother to a Princess ship. 

After hosting the Eurovision Song Contest in the UK last year, 49-year-old Waddingham's name seems to be everywhere.

And she has now been given an honour usually reserved for the most high-profile of famous faces, and one often given to senior members of the Royal Family. 

The Ted Lasso actress has been named Godmother of Princess Cruise Line's 'Love Boat' Sun Princess ship, according to People Magazine.

The title means Waddingham follows in the steps of Kate Middleton, Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth II - who have all been 'godparents' to cruise ships. 

But the honour is only the latest example of Waddingham's seemingly growing connections to the royal family as her career reaches new heights of success. 

As she cements her place as the nation's sweetheart, so her association with the royal family has grown.

From hosting the Earthshot Prize alongside Prince William to entertaining both King Charles and Kate , Hannah appears to be the royals' new favourite celebrity. 

Here, FEMAIL takes a look at all the times the former Game Of Thrones star appeared to be a favourite with the royals, winning them over with her charisma and talent. 

Following in the footsteps of royalty as a cruise ship godmother

It was revealed earlier this week that Waddingham is the latest star to be dubbed the 'godmother' of a cruise ship.  

Hannah told PEOPLE magazine: 'I couldn’t believe I have been asked to be a ship Godmother, having grown up around boats all my life and my grandfather was in the Atlantic Convoy in the Navy.

'To be asked to be a part of this beautiful honour is a "pinch me" moment. 

'I am also honoured to be in the esteemed company with previous Godparents to Princess Ships including Diana, Princess of Wales, Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales Kate Middleton, Audrey Hepburn, Martha Stewart, and many others.'

Princess Diana was esteemed as the godparent of the Royal Princess in 1984.  

Meanwhile, Kate became godmother to Princess Cruises' first royal-class ship, Royal Princess in 2013 - her final public engagement before having Prince George. 

She cut a ribbon to release a bottle of Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial Champagne to smash on the hull. 

The late Queen Elizabeth herself was the godmother to a series of cruise ships, three of which were operated by luxurious Cunard liners. 

The monarch launched the Queen Elizabeth II ship back in 1967 - and its first passenger was the now King Charles. 

In 2019 Queen Camilla was named as the godmother of Saga Cruises's ship, Spirit of Discovery.  

Cruise ship godmothers are said to bring the vessels good luck and protection on  their voyages and is a long-standing tradition. 

These 'godmothers' show up to a 'christening' ceremony and officially name the ship, while the ceremony famously involves breaking a bottle of champagne on the ship's hull. 

Other celebrity cruise ship godparents include Jennifer Hudson, Whoopi Goldberg, Dame Helen Mirren and Oprah Winfrey. 

The Sun Princess can carry 4,300 guests and 1,600 crew members. It features a stunning glass-enclosed dome with a stage with theatre shows by starlight. 

It even has an arena and so many shops that guests can enjoy a 'high street' style retail experience.  

'We’re delighted to welcome the illuminous and elegant Hannah Waddingham to serve as Godmother for our sensational new Sun Princess,' said Princess Cruises president John Padgett in a statement. 

'Just like Sun Princess, she exudes sophistication, beauty and wonderment through her inspiring work as a talented and award-winning actress and performer. 

'We’re truly honoured Hannah will officially name our most impressive, luxurious and stunning Love Boat ever created, and join an esteemed group of Princess Godparents including members of the Royal family.'

Hosting Prince William's The Earthshot Prize ceremony

Hannah has made it no secret that she is a huge fan of Prince William, calling him 'quite the extraordinary man'. 

The actress solidified her bond with the Prince of Wales after she hosted the Earthshot Prize Award Ceremony in Singapore in November last year – a moment that made her ‘very proud’.

William donned a sharp velour suit and dickie bow, while the Ted Lasso star wore a dazzling black ballgown with an emerald sash, arguably stealing the show from her royal counterpart. 

The pair looked perfectly coordinated - in a move symbolic of how close Hannah's ties with the royals have become. 

Talking to Parade magazine, Hannah referred to William as a 'glorious gentleman' and revealed the sweet exchange where she and co-host Sterling K. Brown told the prince so.

'We were hosting together, and he and I said to Prince William: "Sir, I hope you realise that you are a cut above the rest because you are",' she recalled.

And Hannah didn’t stop there. 'That man is passionate about the environment, and I was very proud to be there and be the figure heard for his organisation.' She concluded: 'He’s quite an extraordinary man.'

Meeting Prince William and Kate at the Royal Variety Performance 

Prince William and Kate appeared completely won over by Waddingham at the Royal Variety Performance last December. 

The show is held every year to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity - of which King Charles is patron - and is one of the few televised entertainment events to be attended by senior members of the British royal family.  

Waddingham appeared to delight the royal couple in one of their final appearances together before Kate's absence from the public eye and news of her cancer diagnosis this year. 

Kate and William were both beaming as they spoke with Waddingham, and they even exchanged hugs.  

Near the end of the show, Waddingham took to the Royal Albert Hall stage to sing the Christmas Carol O Holy Night, accompanied by the English National Opera. 

The Princess of Wales was seemingly left spellbound by the performance, clapping loudly to show her appreciation. 

She was seen turning to the person to her left to tell them: 'Amazing, that was fantastic.' 

Chatting to King Charles and Queen Camilla while hosting the Eurovision Song Contest

As The Eurovision Song Contest was hosted by the UK for the first time in 25 years, Hannah was chosen to represent the country as its host. 

King Charles and Queen Camilla headed to Liverpool to see how preparations were coming along for the contest - and met with presenters Scott Mills, Julia Sanina, Rylan Clark and Waddingham. 

It was Hannah who significantly stood right between the royal couple, and was seen sharing a laugh with the King as they posed for photos.  

Her touching tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, Waddingham said the news was 'like a grandmother dying'. 

At the Emmy Awards on September 12, she told Variety she was 'upset at how deeply upset I was' at the news of her passing. 

She said: 'It makes me emotional to think about it. I sat with my dad on the sofa and I watched it all night until I couldn’t keep my eyes open because I couldn’t believe it.  It is like a grandmother dying.'

She expressed a very empathetic reaction towards the now King Charles, explaining: 'It hit me far worse than I thought it would and the enormous pressure that our king has on his shoulders now.’