Prince William showed his protective affection for wife Kate Middleton with a subtle move at their latest royal engagement. On May 8, the Prince and Princess of Wales made a surprise appearance at the VE Day 80: A Celebration To Remember concert in London, where they joined King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh.
The musical evening concluded the national celebrations for the 80th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day, commemorating the end of World War II in Europe on May 8, 1945, and William showed his love for Kate with a tender gesture.
As Prince William, 42, and Princess Kate, 43, filed into their seats, he put his hand on his wife’s back to guide her.
While the British royals have historically refrained from PDA (often only sharing a public kiss on their royal wedding days), the Prince and Princess of Wales have seemingly relaxed their stance on the matter as Princess Kate has gradually resumed public duties after stepping back while undergoing treatment for cancer in 2024.
At the concert on Thursday, cameras captured the split-second moment where the Prince of Wales guided his wife to their seats in the front row of a box at the show.
In another romantic moment, Princess Kate gave William a total look of love.
It’s thought that there are no formal rules governing how affectionate royal couples can act towards one another in public — it’s at their own discretion.
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“Senior members of the royal family would likely not be told how to interact or when they can or can not show PDA and would be trusted to use their better judgement as to when it’s appropriate,” royal etiquette expert Myka Meier, founder and director of Beaumont Etiquette, previously told PEOPLE.
“The royals often adjust PDA to mirror the formality of the event they are attending.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales are parents to children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, and recently rang in their 14th wedding anniversary on April 29. William and Kate were away on the actual day as the calendar overlapped with a working visit to the Scottish Isles of Mull and Iona, and their team released an intimate picture of them together.
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