This Clip of Duchess Kate Literally Shrugging Away Prince William’s Hand Is Awkward AF
Well, this is awkward. Duchess Kate and her husband, Prince William, both appeared in A Berry Royal Christmas on December 16, and eagle-eyed royal family watchers noticed a very odd interaction between the couple. In the BBC special, Mary Berry followed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge around as they attended royal engagements with different organizations, and in one clip, Prince William, 37, tried to put his hand on 37-year-old Duchess Kate’s shoulder, only for her to quickly shrug it off. Eeek.
The moment happened when the royal duo sat down to talk with some volunteers, and otherwise would have been a lovely scene. People on social media quickly took the opportunity to make comments about what they saw.
“If I was a royal reporter I’d be on high alert for a lifetime royal scoop,” one person wrote after the clip was posted on Twitter. “This says so much!” Another commented, “Awkward! Too awkward!! They should have cut it out!”
But not everyone agreed the moment was all that weird. “I think he tickled her back or shoulder, she did move but there were no dirty looks or even a facial reaction,” one person tweeted. “It was not really long enough of a clip to really tell what was going on, but both seem to be in good humor.”
To be fair, the royal couple doesn’t usually show much in the way of PDA. According to a royal etiquette expert, it’s all about being professional! “There is no actual etiquette or royal protocol that says the couple must refrain from PDA. The likely reasoning is more that while traveling on a tour such as the India trip, technically the couple are working representatives of the British Monarchy. The couple are likely to show very little PDA, if any, to remain professional during their designated roles abroad,” Myka Meier once explained to People.
The special comes after recent drama among the royals, including a tell-all from Prince Andrew where he addressed his previous friendship with Jeffrey Epstein that did not go over well. The fellow royal actually decided to step away from his responsibilities after the interview. “It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support,” the 59-year-old Duke of York said in a statement on November 20. “Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.”
Prince William and Duchess Kate were “relieved that Prince Andrew has stepped down,” an insider exclusively told In Touch in November. “[They] think it was the right thing to do. They were really concerned he’d make a bad situation worse by continuing his royal duties.”
But will people who scrutinize the royal family now focus on Duchess Kate and Prince William’s relationship again?
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