Kate Middleton and Prince William have been married for almost ten whole years now! They now have three kids together, but this is not the only new thing for them. People have noticed certain changes between them… and it looks like they were brought about by the relationship between Harry and Meghan.
Before they tied the knot, Kate and William went through quite a number of obstacles together. In 2001, they first met while studying at the prestigious University of St. Andrews. He first noticed her during a charity fashion show!
At Long Last
When they began dating, there were many things they had to deal with. She suddenly got a lot of media attention and even filed a complaint about all the harassment. It was why they broke up in 2007.
However, they would later find their way back to each other and get married at Westminster Abbey a decade after they first met. After tying the knot, William and Kate had to start a new life together. In 2013, they welcomed their firstborn child, George. While they were close, many took note of how reserved they are with their affections in public.
No PDA
William and Kate did not show PDA for a reason. They were, essentially, always at work. It is not a good idea to hold hands in the office, right? This was the same for them when there were cameras around, which was very often.
“The Duke and Duchess are almost always seen in photographs taken during official engagements, so they are at ‘work,’ and it would be unprofessional to hold hands,” explained writer Emily Nash in 2017. She added, “They also need to shake hands with a huge number of people as they meet them, so aside from being on duty, it wouldn’t be very practical!”
Sporting Events Are Different
“We know [the Duke and Duchess] are very affectionate and that sometimes comes across during more lighthearted moments, at sporting events or similar, but you wouldn’t expect them to put that on show while in more formal situations,” one source said. Here they are indulging in some rare PDA at the 2012 Olympics.
In 2017, there was a shift in their dynamics. Many speculated that this change has something to do with Prince Harry and Meghan! Let us take a closer look at why some people started to think this way.
Harry And Meghan
Anyone who reads the news must have seen photos of Harry and Meghan with linked hands or more intense PDA. In July 2018, this royal couple even shared a rather passionate kiss during a polo match!
“Meghan and Prince Harry holding hands at a royal engagement is a refreshingly modern approach to their new role both as a couple and as representatives of the royal family,” said royal etiquette specialist Myka Meier in 2017.
Royal PDA
She also said that PDA is “simply a matter of preference for each couple and is also likely dependent on the nature of the event.” There might be outliers like Prince Charles and Camilla, but “a more serious engagement would warrant a more serious level of professionalism, which each royal is sure to follow.”
Professionalism used to be non-negotiable. Sally Bedell-Smith, the author of , explained why Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are not into PDA: “In the manner of the upper class, neither of them were physically demonstrative.”
Unexpected Display
It was in October 2018 that William and Kate surprised all of us by being more demonstrative with their PDA. She had only returned from a maternity leave after giving birth to Prince Louis. What happened?
William had been accompanying his wife to the Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit in London. Many noticed the way he put his hand on her leg and back during the event. This was unusual for them!
A Rarity
That was not the end of it. A few days after this, they attended the wedding of Princess Eugenie. They seemed closer than usual again. Kirsten Aiken updated netizens by reporting, “Commentary team oohs and aahs over an apparently rare PDA by William and Kate (mind you, they’re only holding hands!).”
Body language expert Judi James told , “They managed to outdo Harry and Meghan here.” She added, “Kate reached across to place a hand on the arm of her husband’s chair, and he put his own hand over it in a very romantic gesture.”
Sweet Smiles
This was what she said about their behavior at the summit: “Kate seems to have increased in confidence here at their first public outing together since the birth, and William is unusually tactile, flashing some sweet “pinging” smiles
at his wife to suggest he’s incredibly pleased to have her back at his side.” But what could be the reason for the sudden change in their PDA? In a report, James said that it could have been “prompted by the very tactile displays from Harry and Meghan.”
Hoping To Shine Brighter
A lot of royal fans have assumed that they had been trying to one-up Harry and Meghan! After Princess Eugenie got married, one tweet said that William and Kate wanted to “upstage” the younger couple.
There are also rumors of a feud between the two couples. In 2018, tabloids ran a story about a squabble between the ladies. Sources say that the cause of the conflict was Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress for Harry and Meghan’s wedding. It was even reported that this fight ended with Kate in tears.
Moving Away
This alleged feud was big news. In November 2018, the press said that Harry and Meghan planned to leave Kensington Palace. It meant that they would no longer be living near William and Kate! One source told that it had something to do with the fight between the ladies.
Later that month, a source informed that the rift was not really between Kate and Meghan but between William and Harry. Could it be true that the brothers were the ones with issues?
From Different Worlds
This source said they were a “close friend of the Cambridges.” They also said that the two women do not get along that well: “Kate and Meghan are very different people. They don’t really get on.”
Despite all the reports, we can only ever speculate. The only people to know the truth would be the royals themselves. There is no way the Kensington Palace would let everyone know what is actually going on behind closed doors. For this reason, most speculation focuses on body language and PDA.
Bonding Between Ladies
Look at the body language here. It was taken when the family got together for Christmas 2018. Kate and Meghan seemed happy together. Were they only putting it on for show? “See how they’re laughing [and] how they’re all walking in sync?” a body language expert called Patti Wood told , “It’s really difficult to do that if you really, really don’t like somebody.”
It might seem a bit silly, but people also look deeply at the way they carry their accessories. If the bag is closer to the partner, it must mean that they are trying to distance themselves from their spouse.
A Good Sign
Look at Kate in this photo. She was not holding hands with William but has placed her clutch bag between her and him. This is good because she is allowing more openness between her and Meghan!
Yes, this is the sort of thing that body language experts look into. If you look at the way Kate is standing here, you will see that she is not letting anything get between her and her sister-in-law.
Mere Speculation
Even in 2019, there are still reports of fights between Kate and Meghan. The reports even caught the attention of none other than the Duchess of York, Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson herself! What did she say?
You see, the Duchess of York used to get compared to Princess Diana. She has written an open letter for Hello magazine and talked about how online speculation works: “It seems that online, anything goes.”
Pitting Women Against Each Other
“Women, in particular, are constantly pitted against and compared with [one another] in a way that reminds me of how people tried to portray Diana and me all the time as rivals, which is something neither of us ever really felt,” Fergie said. “People feel licensed to say things online that they would never dream of saying to someone’s face. And that encourages others to pile in.”
If there is tension between the two couples, no one has presented solid proof just yet. Yes, it has not been proven that the royals want to outdo one another. Fans and paparazzi rely on hearsay too much!
Another Royal Couple
But let us focus on a royal couple who is quite fond of PDA as well. Of course, we mean Charles and Camilla. In December 2018, they appeared in . She even had her hand on his legs!
This is not the only thing that they are doing out of the ordinary. Some believe that they plan to change it up when it is Charles’ time to take over the throne. The royals are keeping up with the times, it seems.
Changing Times
This was what biographer Penny Junor told : “Times have changed. Charles is still so besotted with Camilla – even after all these years – that it would be hard for him not to show his natural affection.”
However, Harry and Meghan are still the most physically affectionate couple in the royal family without a doubt. The two of them did not act any differently when they went on the Australasian royal tour.
Most Affectionate
Harry, of course, went for the hand of his pregnant wife when they were traveling together. We think it is rather sweet that Meghan did not let go of his arm even when they were clapping politely!
While many adore them for the PDA, some think it is too much. A Mumsnet user even said, “For the love of God, could they stop holding hands? They’re not on a date, they’re carrying out official business!”
Growing Even Closer
James said that it is possible that William and Kate got closer after the birth of their third child. She told , “Their smiles together have changed, and their affection and love signals are much more intense and open than ever before, suggesting the birth of their third child has somehow thrown them back into the honeymoon stage.”
This might be true. They are not the only ones who got closer thanks to a child. Harry and Meghan always appear completely in love when they are in public. When they went on the royal tour, they went to the Whakarewarewa Forest and had a nice time. He also took this photo of his pregnant wife there!
Thanks To The Kids
It looks like the addition of a new child is all it takes to bring a couple even closer. It did the trick for Kate and William as well as Harry and Meghan. This might be the answer to your marital problems, folks.
While William and Kate are not very demonstrative, it does not mean that they are on the rocks. A lack of PDA is not an indication that things are going wrong. A lot of regular couples tend to act like this too.
Over 70 Years
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip almost never touch one another, but they are still together even after seven long decades. As you can see, it is not a requirement to be touchy-feely with each other in public.
While it is not that common for royal couples to be touchy-feely, let us find out if the same rule is applicable to kids and parents. It is a case to case basis, but many remain reserved even with their kids.