A Rare Moment Of PDA Between Kate And William Is Going Viral On TikTok
Being royal seems like fun and games. That is, until you factor in all the pressure to be professional at all times. The world's eyes are constantly on the royal family, and that's true for everyone from Queen Elizabeth to the royal grandkids. Considering that Prince William will someday be King of England, people are always watching. William and Kate Middleton have even been stepping up their royal duties lately, which means more time to be seen.
There are rules when it comes to being royal and some are unwritten. Official royal rules include everything from not traveling with two heirs on the same plane to dressing appropriately at all times. As for PDA, there's technically no rules saying that they can't get a little close, but it is definitely frowned upon (via Business Insider).
That being said, there have been some major changes to the monarchy lately, and it shows — literally. The royal family are getting a little handsy lately, and people don't hate it.
Prince William and Kate Middleton held hands in the Bahamas
In March, Prince William and Kate Middleton took a Caribbean tour in honor of the Platinum Jubilee — aka Queen Elizabeth's 70th work anniversary (via People). The two stopped in the Bahamas as part of their tour. Despite being a work trip, let's be honest, the Bahamas is a great place for a couples getaway as well. While there, the two were even spotted by a TikTok user holding hands while they left their hotel. While they might be royal, they still are human after all.
The TikTok user joked, "This couple staying at my hotel in the Bahamas over the weekend had 35 bodyguards!" Of course, TikTok users were quick to point out the royal couple and that it was rare to see Prince William and Kate holding hands in public. "I can't cope with Kate. She is perfection," one comment read. Another echoed the sentiment, saying, "Lovely to see them holding hands." Overall, this is one royal protocol switch up that almost everyone is excited about.
The royals are trying to modernize the monarchy
The royal hand holding is likely a conscious decision. Prince William and Kate Middleton announced shortly after their trip to the Bahamas that they are planning to modernize the monarchy. According to The Sun, that includes dropping their royal titles and going by Will and Kate, rather than the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
"The general consensus was that the tour seemed out of date, out of touch, too formal and stuffy," a source told The Sun. "So now it's more 'Wills and Kate' instead of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge." Along with the name change, the source also claims William and Kate "want to try to avoid the bows and curtsies in public, be more approachable, less formal, less stuffy, and break away with a lot of the tradition and focus on a modern monarchy." This may also be why they've gotten a little handsy lately.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are close too
There is one more reason that Prince William and Kate Middleton have chosen to be a little more modern lately — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The two officially left the royal family and moved to California, which also means that they left the royal rules to the wayside. The two have been seen holding hands at events and even kissed on stage at the Invictus Games.
"You don't usually see this kind of intimacy from a royal couple and it's clear to see the connection between the pair," Darren Stanton, body language expert, tells Hello! Magazine. "This demonstrates that Harry and Meghan feel as strong as ever and there is no question that the pair have a real love for each other." It's possible that Prince William is looking to amp it up now that his little brother has felt the water out.
Of course, the change in royal PDA could just be just that. Either way, it's nice to see the royals getting a little more comfortable with being seen closer together in public.
The younger royals are not the first to display affection
When it comes to royal PDA, you might be surprised to hear that the matriarch herself, Queen Elizabeth II, was often seen arm in arm with her late husband, Prince Philip (per Harper's Bazaar). Of course, their version of PDA is much lighter than our idea of displaying affection, but it was there. The couple was often photographed holding hands and walking with linked arms.
As for Prince Charles and his current wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, these two arguably paved the way for Charles' sons and their wives when it comes to kissing in public. The couple has been photographed kissing each other on the lips, though these moments are rarely seen in public (via E! News). They've only been photographed locking lips three times over their multi-decade romance.
William and Kate, as well as Harry and Meghan, are not the first royal couples to be caught exchanging affection in the public eye. However, it is rare. The royals are held to different standards than our favorite celebrities when it comes to PDA.