Prince William once seemingly kissed another woman in public who was not his wife, Kate Middleton. The awkward moment was caught in photographs and caused quite a controversy at that time because the future King of England was publicly known to be dating his then-future bride.
The snap, taken in 2006, featured Atomic Kitten's Natasha Hamilton attempting to kiss Prince William with what seemed like her tongue out. However, one blog site mistook the woman to be Kate Middleton.
Hamilton was accused by the public of trying to seduce Prince William. However, the British pop star clarified that she did no such thing and was photographed with a bad camera angle.
She said that this was an unfortunate snap with Prince William, which was taken during a charity concern in London. Hamilton revealed she's embarrassed by the picture because of Prince William's girlfriend and her boyfriend.
Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge don't always show their affection for each other in public as a matter professionalism, according to Myka Meier, a royal etiquette expert. Mier said that there is no rule that says royal couples can't have public displays of affection (PDA). However, since Prince William and Kate Middleton are mostly working while they are seen in public, they want to remain professional while representing the British monarchy.
Another royal expert, Robin Kermode, said that this lack of PDA had a precedent in Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, who also rarely held hands or show their affection for each other among a sea of people watching them for the last 70 years. Kermode said that, because of this, the rest of the royal family take the lead from the Queen and her husband.
Prince William and Kate Middleton's PDA, or the lack of it, is often compared with Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, who do not hesitate to hold hands or lightly touch each other even during royal engagements. However, since Prince Harry isn't likely going to be the king, unlike his older brother, then he's given more room to adjust and bend the rules.
But, there have been a few instances when Prince William and Kate Middleton would be affectionate towards each other in public. For instance, they held hands when they presented their third child, Prince Louis, to the world from the hospital.
For many royal observers, Prince William and Kate Middleton embrace the modernity of their royal statues. However, they still keep some things by the book and retain protocols and traditions expected of them as the future monarchs.
