Experts Say Prince William & Kate Middleton Are Ramping Up Their PDA for This Reason

As senior members of the British royal family, Prince William and Kate Middleton have a long list of royal rules and protocols they need to follow. From what nail polish Middleton should wear, to who they should and shouldn’t curtsy to, the Waleses’ every move is, whether or not they’d like to admit it, carefully monitored and controlled. And, knowing the strict rules are, it’s even more interesting to see how the two have increased their PDA recently.

At their most recent outing at the 2023 Royal Ascot, for example, Middleton gently put her hand on William’s butt before he smiled at her and she dropped her hand (see the moment HERE!). As a reminder, Middleton pulled a similar move on the BAFTAs red carpet earlier this year.

Since the moment happened on June 23, a clip of the gesture has gone viral on TikTok, amassing over 13,000 views. Among the commenters, reactions to the PDA moment are varied. Although some called the moment “awkward” and questioned whether William was trying to ignore her advances, others have defended the Princess of Wales. “Kate was trying to get William out of the way subtly. She did a good job,” commented one user.

According to body language expert Judi James to Express, the latter interpretation of the moment might be the most accurate. “This one fade-out probably had more to do with the fact that the couple appeared to be going down some steps and needing to focus,” James said of Middleton dropping her hand when William looked over.

“We can’t see if it connects, but as a gesture, the bum-pat or touch usually suggests physical attraction or approval,” James continued.

James continued her analysis, adding that “you can pin up a wall-full of photos of William and Kate flirting or gazing at each other using the look of love to counter this one moment.” And, as we’ve been witnessing, James also agrees that “PDAs seem to be increasing recently rather than decreasing.”