Prince William and Princess Kate "Are Happy" for the Public to See Their New "Touchy-Feely" Gestures, Says Royal Expert
The Prince and Princess of Wales celebrated their engagement anniversary on November 16.
Prince William and Princess Kate marked 15 years since their engagement announcement on Sunday, November 16, and the couple has certainly been through their share of ups and downs since 2010. After navigating Queen Elizabeth's death, Prince Andrew's title-stripping scandal and a falling out with Prince Harry—in addition to raising three young children—the Princess of Wales was diagnosed with cancer in 2024. For the Prince and Princess of Wales, their trials have made them come out stronger, as multiple royal sources have noted.
The couple hugged, held hands and shared kisses in the video they released to mark the end of Kate's chemotherapy treatment last September—gestures that the public have rarely seen from the royals. They even released a photo celebrating Valentine's Day in 2025, a first for the Prince and Princess of Wales.
"William must feel so fortunate that Kate has come through this that he wants to tell the world about that love," Majesty magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Seward told Peopleearlier this year. "It shows the intimacy of them sharing that journey together."
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"They are happy for people to see them be touchy-feely," she added. "They’re in a different phase of their life now. William is very protective and very proud of her for coming through this and carrying on with her life."
Speaking on behalf of Betfair Slots, body language expert Darren Stanton said that even though they both gave the impression of "a very stiff upper lip" during their engagement interview, William and Kate have come a long way.
"William has always seemed deeply devoted to Kate, and she to him," Stanton said. "They’re comfortable showing affection in public, from playful touches to warm, genuine interactions."
The Prince and Princess of Wales are seen at London's Natural History Museum in September 2025.
Prince William and Princess Kate are seen during the French state visit to the U.K. in July 2025.
April 29 will mark the couple's fifteenth wedding anniversary, and after releasing special new photos for their tenth, fans could be in for a "special" treat, said one longtime royal journalist. Katie Nicholl told the Mirror, "They tend to do things in a low-key way, but it wouldn't surprise me to see them do something special to recognize 15 years of marriage."
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Nicholl added, "They've been through so much and, of course, each year Kate clocks up will be another year of being cancer-free, which really will be worth marking."

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.
Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.
Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.