By now, royal fans probably all know that Princess Kate stepped out of character for a millisecond at the BAFTAs and playfully tapped her husband Prince William's butt—AKA a normal-person thing to do that you'd definitely not expect a royal to do in public.
For one body language expert, this moment of playful intimacy demonstrates just how close the royal spouses are, and how real their connection is.
"One of the key moments of the evening is when Kate appeared to tap Prince William cheekily on the bottom, which was captured on camera," observes Darren Stanton on behalf of Betfair Bingo.
"At the beginning of the clip, Kate looked like she went to touch William’s hand, and it was not reciprocated. She then went on to tap him on the backside, which is indicative of a true relationship.
"She was being very cheeky, knowing that this gesture will probably make global headlines. It’s apparent they both have a very great sense of humor, can have fun together and are mischievous."
Stanton thinks this says a lot about Kate's character in particular.
"The gesture also demonstrated a massive amount of confidence from Kate," he says.
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"It’s not often you would see a senior member of the Royal Family tapping their partner on the bottom—it breaks overall protocol.
"Most couples have their own private gestures with each other, and this is Kate’s.
"She is clearly very comfortable in her own skin. This clearly signifies how confident the couple have both become over the years. It’s apparent that they do not mind the world seeing their affectionate side."
I, personally, am all for this PDA. Carry on, kids.
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
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