Prince William and Kate Middleton Body Language Hinted at ‘Conscious Decision’ to ‘Relax’ Their ‘Hands off Policy’ After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Left
A lot has changed for the royal family since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left their roles as “working” royals in 2020. Among the changes is, according to a body language expert, how Prince William and Kate Middleton interact with each other in public. After the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex left for Canada, an expert noticed the now-Prince and Princess of Wales being more affectionate in public.
William and Kate took part in some public displays of affection after Harry and Meghan left in 2020
Less than a month after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their decision to step back from royal life, William and Kate visited South Wales. On Feb. 4, 2020, they walked along the shoreline amid cameras and crowds.
What may have been just one of many public appearances for the couple, a body language expert noticed a slight shift. Particularly, that typically reserved William and Kate were fine putting on more public displays of affection.
“These are very interesting mutual touch rituals from William and Kate, with a suggestion that they might have made a conscious decision to relax what has in the past looked like their ‘hands off’ policy in public,” Judi James said (via FEMAIL).
“Although we have seen them being tentatively tactile before, these rituals hint that they might be happy to be seen as a little more demonstrative now that the hugely tactile Harry and Meghan have left to live in Canada,” she explained.
Prince William and Kate Middleton hinted at ‘real hugs’ with ‘empty embraces’ after Harry and Meghan left, expert says
James continued, explaining William and Kate’s “empty embraces.” They show the couple “looking mutually supportive via small arm and back touches,” she said at the time, noting they were subtle as opposed to “flagging up their love via hand-holding and hugs.”
“In many ways, these touches are ’empty embraces’ meaning they are mimed hugs that suggest the real hugs are there off-stage,” she explained.
“They’re also used as tie-signs, that is keeping the communication alive between them non-verbally when they are out in public,” James added.
William and Kate seem to be more affectionate in public since becoming the Prince and Princess of Wales
Now that William and Kate have new titles in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, it seems they’re relaxing their “hands-off” rule even more. The parents of three had some touchy-feely moments outside Sandringham on Sept. 15 as they took in the tributes to the queen. A few weeks later, they were more relaxed on a visit to Wales.
More recently, during a three-day visit to Boston, Mass., William and Kate were once again putting on the PDA. They got close at a Nov. 30 Boston Celtics game taking part in what a body language expert called some “rather sexy PDA”. Finally, on Dec. 2, at the 2022 Earthsot Prize awards, they engaged in even more PDA.
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