Kate Middleton and Prince William stunned at the 76th BAFTAs last Sunday, but their glamourous outfits weren’t what caught the public’s eye this time. On the red carpet, Kate was seen giving her husband a little “love tap” on his derrière… and everyone’s freaking out.
What Happened?
Prince William has been the president of the BAFTAs since 2010 and the royal couple has made their fair share of BAFTA appearances in recent years. This year, the Prince and Princess of Wales arrived on the red carpet at the Royal Festival Hall in London, with Prince William looking spick and span in his black suit. Kate wore a beautiful Alexander McQueen one-shoulder dress with long black gloves.
And despite the hundreds cheering fans trying to get their attention, they seemed to only have eyes for each other while they walked down the carpet. They both wore huge smiles as they chatted and even shared a laugh. Then, it looked as if Kate was trying to reach for William’s hand, but since he didn’t get the memo, she went for a different route.
She gave his butt a little tap… eek!
Videos of their subtle interaction went viral all over the internet and in Prince William and Kate fashion, they were met with positivity and enthusiasm. Many people who caught the interaction remarked on the fact that even royals can’t resist small romantic gestures! Awww they’re just like us. And as Vogue put it, everyone has to “cop a feel” from time to time… even on red carpets.
What if Meghan Did It?
Now, as we all know, Prince Harry and Meghan aren’t exactly the most liked out of all the royals, so what do we think would’ve happened if Meghan did the same thing? Let’s rewind to a moment just last year when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex showed some affection toward each other.
In September 2022, when the Queen passed away, members of the royal family walked behind the coffin during a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. While leaving the service, Prince Harry and Meghan were seen HOLDING HANDS.
Their gesture of affection was quick to receive lots of criticism as it was deemed highly inappropriate. People expressed their distaste for the Duke and Duchess all over the internet, with one social media user commenting, “they can’t keep their hands to their sides for two seconds to mourn the Queen (as if Meghan would care to anyway)???.” The user went on to accuse Harry and Meghan of never failing to “disrespect the protocol and the Queen.”
It’s true that the BAFTAs and the Queen’s death are two very different events, and the former is probably more appropriate to be showing affection. But seriously, what’s the harm in holding hands during a funeral procession? Married couples are supposed to support each other, and an event like losing his grandmother is probably something Prince Harry needed support from his wife for. And plus, it’s just holding hands. Everyone does it.
Considering all of this, it’s pretty easy to imagine some of the headlines that would come from tabloids if Meghan did the exact same thing as Kate during an event like the BAFTAs: “Meghan Markle gropes Prince Harry as onlookers gasp at the inappropriate gesture.” Or maybe “Royal couple leaves children at home to grope each other in front of millions.”
This latter one isn’t unrealistic at all, as, in 2021, when the Duke and Duchess visited the Carlyle Hotel in New York, tabloid headlines said things along the lines of “Royal couple leave the kids in LA to enjoy drinks at swanky bar inside their $1,300-a-night Carlyle Hotel to kick-start three-day visit to NYC.” But when Prince William and Kate visited the exact same hotel, they got headlines talking about how the hotel was William’s mother, the cherished Princess Diana’s favourite…
So, this is my warning for Meghan in case she wants to show affection for her husband on a red carpet. Don’t do it. They’ll call you a groper.
References:
Blanchet, B. (2023). Kate Middleton playfully pats husband Prince William’s butt on 2023 BAFTAs red carpet. People. https://people.com/royals/kate-middleton-playfully-pats-prince-william-butt-on-2023-bafta-red-carpet/
Edmonds, L. (2022). Social media users slammed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for holding hands while leaving a service for Queen Elizabeth – but ignored other royals who did the same thing. Insider. https://www.insider.com/prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-criticized-for-holding-hands-2022-9
Photos:
El-Mofty, N. (2022). [Prince Harry and Meghan Markle hold hands at a service honoring the Queen] [Photograph]. Getty Images. https://www.insider.com/prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-criticized-for-holding-hands-2022-9
Jackson, C. (2023). [Prince William and Kate Middleton at the BAFTAs 2023] [Photograph]. Getty Images. https://people.com/royals/kate-middleton-prince-william-baftas-2023-red-carpet-appearance/
Vogue Models. (2023, February 19). Princess Kate gave Prince William a love tap as they arrived to the 2023 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhyJrgch86Y
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