It's not often that senior working members of the royal family, like Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, allow the public to see them being openly affectionate or cuddled up – but for Valentine's Day, the future King and Queen have shared a heartfelt, natural-looking snap of themselves. The royal rule of no PDA? It seems to be a thing of the past.
The photo shared via the Prince and Princess' official social media channels shows William and Kate holding hands while sat on a tree trunk (with William kissing his laughing wife's cheek) – it looks to be a still from some of the footage included in the moving video Kate shared when letting the nation know she'd been given the all clear following a cancer diagnosis.
As for the caption, the royals went with a simple heart emoji to mark the loved-up occasion.
Naturally, this more intimate look at one of the most famous couples in the world has gone down very well with fans, with one writing in the comments underneath: "Ooooh… such a cute moment! 😍😍❤️❤️ Happy Valentines Day!"
Another added, "Happy valentine’s day to my favorite royal couple!! ❤️"
A third wrote, "Awww thats so sweet of you to share this lovely pic! Happy valentine['s] day!"
Everyone's clicking on...
This more candid and close-up photo is one of a handful that William and Kate have shared since the Princess was diagnosed with cancer last year.
It seems that the old royal PR strategy of never showing emotion and adopting the mantra of 'never complain, never explain' may be thawing somewhat – something that the social media masses, who want more authenticity and relatability from the royal fam, are all in favour of.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
