Prince William & Kate ‘are happy for people to see them be touchy-feely’

The Princess of Wales’s “emotional return to work” and “reclaiming her role” cover this week’s People Magazine. People Mag finally noticed what I’ve been saying – that Kate has been out and about much more often than courtiers predicted at the end of last year. In fact, it sounds like Kate’s 2025 work schedule has even surprised the courtiers and the royalist press. I have my theories, of course. I think Kate’s sudden “work surge” was down to the Duchess of Sussex’s sudden visibility in the first quarter of 2025. Plus, Kate was irritated that two of her vacations were outed by the press in the past three months, so she had to look busy. Anyway, People published another piece of their cover story, all about how the Wales marriage is strong (hm) and the Waleses love being affectionate in public. Hahaha.

Kate Middleton and Prince William are typically known for keeping their public displays of affection to a minimum, but lately, the couple have been sharing glimpses into their private connection.

From a romantic photo shared to mark Valentine’s Day to sweetly holding hands during a recent visit to Wales, the Prince and Princess of Wales have not been shy about their love for each other as Kate returns to her royal role one year after she revealed her cancer diagnosis. Most recently, the couple attended the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 10, where William, 42, and Kate, 43, were spotted leaning in close, exchanging glances and laughing together.

“They are happy for people to see them be touchy-feely,” royal expert and biographer Ingrid Seward tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. “They’re in a different phase of their life now. William is very protective and very proud of her for coming through this and carrying on with her life.”

Recent years have seen the Prince and Princess of Wales navigate turbulence stemming from the departure of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the COVID pandemic, the deaths of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth and the devastating cancer diagnoses of both Kate and King Charles. Through it all, William has remained by Kate’s side as a steady source of strength.

Royal historian Amanda Foreman tells PEOPLE, “There is a sense of protectiveness and partnership…And just in time, frankly — if there was ever a time when the country required stability, this is it. The international stage is so unstable, it is rather extraordinary to see how both have risen to the occasion.”

[From People]

I actually forgot about that Valentine’s Day photo, so I’m including it and the stills from last year’s “cancer-free” video below. The thing is, I haven’t really noticed them being particularly affectionate or even warm to each other in the past year at all. Yes, they smiled at each other briefly at the Commonwealth service, and yes, William briefly put his hand on her back to get her to move at a diplomatic event, but that’s about it? You’ve got to remember, Kate genuinely went through a phase a few years ago where she was repeatedly grabbing William’s ass when they were in public. That changed – I don’t think we’ll be getting any more ass-gropes for a while, if ever. All the British public is getting is some “festive glances” and a lot of strained body language which they dutifully ignore. It’s obvious that everyone sort of wishes that William and Kate were as hot for each other as the other couple, you know? The projection goes in both directions – H&M clearly have a happy, passionate and affectionate marriage, so everyone has decided to just SAY that Will and Kate do too.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Kensington Palace and Cover Images.