Prince William and Princess Kate Love This Wellbeing Practice

Prince William and Princess Kate walking together on a nature background — (Image credit: Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales revealed that she feels a "very spiritual and very intense emotional reconnection" with nature, and believes strongly in its “healing power,” and now we know a little bit more about how she—and Prince William—connect with Mother Earth.

In July 2025, Princess Kate visited Colchester Hospital in Essex to plant Catherine’s Rose. During a ceremonial planting, the Princess of Wales declined gloves and got her hands dirty—literally—for the task. “Am I allowed to not wear gloves? I’d rather not wear them,” she asked, before explaining “I like feeling the earth.”

COLCHESTER, ENGLAND - JULY 2: Catherine, Princess of Wales, planting a rose during a visit to the RHS&amp;apos;s Wellbeing Garden at Colchester Hospital on July 2, 2025 in Colchester, England. The visit coincides with the donation of 50 Catherine&amp;apos;s Rose plants, named after the princess by the RHS with funds from sales going to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. (Photo by Stefan Rousseau - WPA Pool/Getty Images) — Princess Kate declined gloves, saying she wanted to "feel the earth."

Prince William echoed the sentiment on his recent trip to Saudi Arabia. The Prince of Wales planted a tree at Sharaan Nature Reserve in the Saudi desert, where he declared “I won’t wear gloves,” despite being offered a pair. “I want to have my hands in the soil.”

Both of these very purposeful statements of desire to get into the soil and connect with the earth suggest that Prince William and Princess Kate are fans of “earthing,” or “grounding,” a wellbeing practice focused on simply—and literally—touching grass. “Generations ago, people tended to spend more time outside,” explained Dr. Gemma Newman in her book, Get Well Stay Well. “There were also fewer physical barriers between the human body and the earth’s natural surfaces.”

ALULA, SAUDI ARABIA - FEBRUARY 11: Prince William, Prince of Wales plants an acacia tree on the third day of his first official visit to Saudi Arabia at Sharaan Nature Reserve on February 11, 2026 in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. Sharaan Nature Reserve is a protected area that covers over 1,500km&sup2; and is one of six nature reserves in AlUla. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) — Prince William wanted to feel the soil in his hands.

The practice of walking barefoot, touching or digging with our hands, and other tactile ways to connect with the earth have benefits that are showing up in research. “Research is still scant but the data shows correlations between practising grounding and the relief of various ailments,” Dr Newman revealed in her book. “I see these findings as hopeful that grounding could be a simple and free treatment to help reduce pain and improve sleep, although these are very small studies so we need to know more.”

The practice remains controversial, as many doubt the benefits of the practice or the accuracy of the research. Despite this, many experts encourage grounding, even if it is a placebo effect. Dr Newman recommends “some gardening, without gloves or barefoot, so you can feel the soil,” like the Prince and Princess of Wales, as an easy way to connect with nature and potentially benefit your health long-term.

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Christine Ross is a freelancer writer, royal expert, broadcaster and podcaster. She's worked with news outlets including the BBC, Glamour, Talk TV, ET, PBS, CNN and 20/20 to cover the foremost royal events of the last decade, from Prince George’s birth to the coronation of King Charles III.

She previously served as co-host of Royally Us, a weekly royal podcast by Us Weekly. As a freelance writer and royal commentator she provides expert commentary, historical context and fashion analysis about royal families worldwide, with an emphasis on the British Royal Family.