Around the World With the Week's Best Photos

A series of memorials took place to honor the victims of the Santa Barbara, CA, shootings this week, including a paddle-out with hundreds of surfers who held hands and formed a circle in the Pacific Ocean. Following Maya Angelou's passing, people also gathered to celebrate her incredible life with a moving service in Winstom Salem, NC. Visitors listened to a poetry reading at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, the church she attended for more than 30 years. See all that and more with the week's best pictures from across the globe, including must-see royal appearances from Kate Middleton and Prince Harry. Source: AP

Royal Toast
Getty | WPA Pool

Royal Toast

Kate Middleton was all smiles while tasting whiskey with Prince William at The Famous Grouse Distillery in Crieff, Scotland.

Spelling Stars
Getty | Alex Wong

Spelling Stars

Confetti fell over Sriram Hathwar and Ansun Sujoe when they tied for first in the 2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee competition.

Hangin' Loose
Getty | SAUL LOEB

Hangin' Loose

President Barack Obama met with US troops in Afghanistan over Memorial Day weekend, when he gave a nod to Hawaii by holding up the "hang loose" sign.

Book Stacks
Getty | Matthew Horwood

Book Stacks

Three-year-old Maeve Magee read a book during Wales's Hay Festival, an annual festival of literature and the arts.

Paying Tribute
Getty | Alex Wong

Paying Tribute

During Memorial Day weekend, a woman sat by the grave site of her son, US Marine Corps Lance Corporal Lawrence Robert Philippon.

You Got Served
Getty | Matthew Stockman

You Got Served

Tennis star Venus Williams competed against Switzerland's Belinda Bencic on day one of the French Open in Paris.

Cap Confetti
Getty | JIM WATSON

Cap Confetti

Graduates at West Point's US Military Academy threw up their caps after the ceremony.

Remembering Maya
Getty | Grant Halverson

Remembering Maya

People gathered for a memorial celebrating the life of Maya Angelou in Winston Salem, NC.

Fake Flying
Getty | Scott Olson

Fake Flying

A 9-year-old suited up to try indoor skydiving at the iFly facility in Rosemont, IL, where guests can feel the sensation of skydiving in a chamber.

Private Prayer
Getty | Lior Mizrahi

Private Prayer

Pope Francis prayed beside the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

TV Talk
Getty | Justin Sullivan

TV Talk

Along with Sarah Palin, Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson spoke during the 2014 Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans.

On the Water
Getty | Eric Thayer

On the Water

Crowds gathered on the beach at Coney Island for a wreath-laying ceremony on Memorial Day.

Ab Show
Getty | WPA Pool

Ab Show

Prince Harry inadvertently showed off his royal abs during a rugby game in Ipswich, England.

Holding Hands
AP

Holding Hands

Hundreds of surfers linked up to form a circle for the memorial paddle-out honoring the victims of the Santa Barbara, CA, shootings.