Tracey Emin's The Kiss (2011) captures the iconic moment of Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding day kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The piece is particularly significant as it departs from Emin's typically provocative and autobiographical work and instead engages with a moment of national celebration. As a Royal Academician and former "enfant terrible" of the Young British Artists movement, Emin's choice to commemorate this royal moment reflects her evolution as an artist and established position within British cultural institutions.

The artwork's creation aligns with Emin's broader artistic practice of exploring love, vulnerability, and human connection themes. The artist created the piece on the actual day of the royal wedding, lending it an immediacy and spontaneity characteristic of her work, through which she typically explores deeply personal and emotive subject matter.