NEED TO KNOW

  • Kate Middleton and Prince William snuck some subtle PDA into the start of the state visit from France
  • The Prince and Princess of Wales usually refrain from overt gestures of affection in public, but they have recently been spotted doing some sweet gestures, like holding hands
  • The couple helped welcome President Macron and his wife to the U.K. with King Charles and Queen Camilla

Kate Middleton and Prince William let their love show at the start of the French state visit.

On July 8, the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 43, held hands during the formal welcome organized to mark the start of French President Emmanuel Macron‘s state visit to the U.K.

Cameras captured Prince William and Princess Kate with their fingers linked as they descended the Royal Dais at Datchet Road at Windsor Castle. The sweet move might have been to help Princess Kate keep her balance as she navigated the stairs, as she wore heels for her meaningful debut in a Christian Dior.

Prince William and Kate Middleton in Windsor on July 8, 2025.

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty 

It’s rare to see the Prince and Princess of Wales holding hands, as the couple seems to follow the precedent set by previous royal generations of refraining from overt public displays of affection. However, Prince William and Princess Kate have seemingly relaxed this stance recently.

The Princess of Wales stepped outside of the spotlight last year after she announced in March 2024 that she was undergoing treatment for cancer. However, she released her most personal home video ever in September to relay that she had completed chemotherapy.

Princess Kate and Prince William packed on the PDA in several scenes across the montage, from holding hands and lying on the beach to Kate cuddling into William’s shoulder. At one point, the heir to the throne was shown kissing his wife on the cheek.

On Jan. 14, Princess Kate announced that it was a “relief” to be in remission. One month later, she and William marked Valentine’s Day in a rare way by posting a loved-up photo on social media. The shot was a scene from the September video Kate issued about completing chemotherapy.

The Prince and Princess of Wales’ last major hand-holding moment was in February, when they walked through a train station in Wales, and their latest hand-holding wasn’t the only gesture of affection spotted at the state visit.

Prince William and Kate Middleton in Windsor on July 8, 2025.

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

During another moment of the welcome with King Charles and Queen Camilla at the Royal Dais, Kate placed a protective hand around William’s back.

Following a horse-drawn carriage ride to Windsor Castle for a military display and private lunch, the Princess of Wales gave her husband a total look of love while touring items from the Royal Collection related to France.

Kate Middleton and Prince William at Windsor Castle on July 8, 2025.

Benjamin Cremel – WPA Pool/Getty

The Prince and Princess of Wales, who wed in 2011 and share children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, were in sync once more for the state banquet at Windsor Castle that night, which capped the first day of the French state visit in a glamorous way.

The royals released a regal new portrait in the evening, where they stood together before a bucolic background.

“Ready for what promises to be a wonderful State Banquet this evening in Windsor 🇫🇷🇬🇧,”  their team wrote below.

Kate Middleton and Prince William on July 8, 2025.

Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace

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William and Kate also took on a prominent role at the start of the state visit that day, welcoming President Macron and his wife, Brigitte, at RAF Northolt on behalf of the King.