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    The "deeper meaning" behind Prince William and Princess Kate's surprising body language changes

    Jenny Proudfoot's avatar
    By Jenny Proudfoot
    Published 28 February 2025 In News

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    The Prince and Princess of Wales visit Scotland in 2021
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
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    The Prince and Princess of Wales are the most talked-about couple in the world. And following Princess Kate's return to duty after her cancer recovery and Prince William's role elevation as future King, the royal couple has been front and centre.

    It is their relationship that undoubtedly makes the most headlines, with experts noting that Princess Kate and Prince William appear even closer after navigating the "toughest year of their lives together".

    And as the couple returns to the forefront with their 2025 public duties, there has been a noticeable change to their body language.

    A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)

    A photo posted by on

    This was particularly on show this week during the Prince and Princess' official visit to Wales, where the royal couple appeared more tactile than usual, even posting a video to their Instagram stories of themselves holding hands.

    This marks a surprising change for the royal couple, with the Prince and Princess of Wales previously making the deliberate decision not to hold hands in public.

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    According to insiders, this is likely down to Prince William's future role as King, with body language expert Darren Stanton telling The Sun that as the couple prepares "to become King and Queen themselves one day, they use and follow the traditional royal protocols of the late Queen."

    This includes no hand holding, but according to Stanton, the royal couple "show their affection with prolonged eye gazes" instead. "As well as giving each other little back touches to reassure each other when they’re on an outing together."

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    The Prince and Princess of Wales attend the Royal Charity Polo Cup in 2023

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Prince William and Princess Kate's surprising move to break the hand holding rule has therefore been getting the world talking, with experts reporting a "deeper meaning" behind their recent displays of affection.

    According to experts, the Prince and Princess of Wales' body language changes are all about supporting each other and showing a united front, sending the message that they are back and stronger than ever.

    "It is a continuation of the love story narrative that we were finally allowed to glimpse during Kate's powerfully touching video update about her cancer," body language expert Judi James added via FEMAIL.

    "The signals of touch and proximity in that video revealed their closeness as a loving and besotted-looking couple. It looked like a one-off glimpse of how they behave behind the scenes of their more formal and less tactile public persona, but there were suggestions at this outing that they do intend the PDAs to continue."

    We will continue to update this story.

    Jenny Proudfoot
    Jenny Proudfoot
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    Contributing Features Editor

    Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

    In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.

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