Prince William and Kate Middleton are the definition of (royal) couple goals. Having met as fresh-faced uni students back in 2001, they lived together as friends with roommates, before going pubic with their romance in 2004.
Fast-forward to 2011, and the pair tied the knot, with Kate living out her very own fairytale fantasy. Now a solid family unit with three kids (one of whom will ascend the British throne), Kate and Wills project as a loving couple who are always there for one another.
But away from the rare PDA moments of cheeky bum tapping and lip locking, there are other subtle ways the pair show their respect for one another. Here, we look at William's best moments...
William walks behind his family at Wimbledon
Back in July last year, the royal couple — along with two of their three children, Prince George, 12, and Princess Charlotte, 10 — were among the many famous faces at Wimbledon. As regular celebs at the prestigious sporting event (Kate always presents the winners of the Ladies' and Mens' Singles with their trophy prize), their presence never flies under the radar.
Case in point: During one of their 2025 appearances, it was William's subtle sign of respect towards Kate (and his family) that eagle-eyed royal fans pointed out. After posting some snaps to their official Prince and Princess of Wales Instagram account — one of which showed William falling back to let his family walk ahead of him — plenty of people flocked to the comments section to gush over the sweet gesture.
"Love the way Prince William let his family walk ahead of him. Such a beautiful and subtle show of respect," one person said, as another penned: "I love that William knows that she's the show stopper here! 👑. That's respect and love and teaching his kiddos how to treat their Mum!"
Everyone's clicking on...
Dame Mary Berry shares 'little' gestures that haven't gone unnoticed
It's common knowledge that too much PDA is against royal protocol. This is because royal family members are considered "working representatives" of the monarchy; therefore, professionalism over personal affection during official engagements is expected. However, that doesn't mean to say that small gestures are off limits.
In an interview with the Daily Mail in October last year, Dame Mary Berry opened up about how "encouraging" William is to Kate. She shared: "There's always a little arm around the back, encouraging her." The Bake Off star also commented on how supportive William has been from the beginning, stating that, "early on, when [Kate] started doing public life, he would chip in and say something really nice and encouraging. He's obviously immensely proud of her."
William says Kate will 'carve out' her own future
After announcing their engagement in 2010, Will and Kate sat down with ITV News for an official interview. When discussing his late mother, Princess Diana, and her legacy, William warmly said there's "no pressure" on Kate, as she's "carving out [her] own future." The future king added: "No one's going to try and fill my mother's shoes and what she did is fantastic. It's about making your own future and your own destiny and Kate will do a very good job of that."
William responds to Kate's "touch and clutch"
During a visit to Boston, US, in 2021, William and Kate attended a Celtics basketball game. Photos were published of the pair sitting front row, with one showing Kate gently placing her hand on her husband's knee. Later, they were seen clutching each other as they enjoyed the event.
Body language expert Judi James decoded the subtle gesture on William's part, telling The Mirror: "Kate and William's show-stopping 'touch and clutch' gesture at the basketball might have defined them brand-wise as a close, romantic and rather sexy couple to people in the US. Kate has placed a hand on his thigh here and William has responded with a signal of endorsement by placing his hand over hers and clutching it in a way that hints at gratitude for the backup."
William comes to Kate's aid during World Mental Health Day
In October 2024, four months after Kate returned to public life following her cancer treatment, the couple carried out a series of engagements to mark World Mental Health Day. The pair were attending a mental fitness workshop run by Kate's patronage, SportsAid, at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre in Berkshire, when William noticed something on his wife's face and gently removed it.
The affectionate moment was caught on camera and went viral on social media, with a caption that read: "Aw look at our Prince of Wales, being the loving husband that he is, removing something from his beautiful wife's face at Bisham Abbey last week. So sweet, right? He is such a wonderful husband! A gentleman."
Plenty of royal fans agreed, taking to the comments section to compliment the future king.
"Too adorable. What a mark of affection," one person said, as another typed: "He's a true gent always."
"So sweet and caring!" a third penned, while a fourth echoed: "Always there for each other," followed by a string of love heart emojis.
Sophie Williams is a Freelance Journalist and Copywriter, covering everything from Fashion to Entertainment to music, Lifestyle and Features. She has interviewed a range of musical artists and authors including Alyssa Edwards, Courtney Barnett, Confidence Man, The Vaccines, Loyle Carner, Gabrielle, and John Niven, and has written for publications like Metro, Reader's Digest, ITV's Woo! and Vice’s NBGA. She is also working on a book for HarperCollins about Taylor Swift, due to be published in 2024.
