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Prince William and the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton) have been quite busy over the last few weeks as they attended events to commemorate VE Day, hosted a garden party at Buckingham Palace, and embarked on a royal visit to Scotland.  

During their trip to Glasgow, after the official naming of a Royal Navy ship, the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, as they are known in Scotland, faced off in a pipe-building competition. A lip-reading expert decoded the cute exchange between the couple when William was “letting his wife win.”

Nicola Hickling is the founder of LipReader, a company specializing in lipreading and expert witness reports. Hickling has spearheaded the development of innovative technologies and services that empower individuals with hearing impairments. She has also appeared in the Daily Mail, Page Six, Newsweek, and more.

Speaking on behalf of Slingo, Hickling told Showbiz Cheat Sheet that the prince appeared to subtly allow Kate to claim the victory, even though her construction skills weren’t quite up to spec. 

Hickling noted that when William smiled, he warned: “You don’t want to put any pressure on mine. It’ll just go shhh.”

At that moment, Kate’s pipes collapsed causing the others around them to erupt into laughter.

William then raised his fingers in a circle and quipped: “Perfectly timed!”