Every married couple knows that keeping the romance alive can be tough. Combine the stresses of modern life with work and children, and it can often feel like that spark is harder and harder to ignite.
Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William have three young children and very public jobs that invite a whole lot of scrutiny into their personal lives.
So it would be completely understandable if the Prince and Princess of Wales were perhaps not quite so forthcoming in their public displays of affection for each other, after all these years.
But that is certainly not the case with these two lovebirds.
Kate and William first met at St Andrews University in Scotland, and became fast friends from the moment they met.
“We were friends for over a year first and it just sort of blossomed from then on,” William has said of his first encounters with his now wife.
“We just spent more time with each other had a good giggle, had lots of fun and realised we shared the same interests and just had a really good time,” Wills reflected.
They then dated for several years, but in 2007, the young couple actually split.
But rather than causing a permanent rift, both the prince and princess say that short time apart at the beginning of their relationship actually strengthened their bond.
Prince William places a protective hand on Kate’s back during a royal engagement.
“I think at the time I wasn’t very happy about it, but actually it made me a stronger person, you find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn’t realised,” Kate said during the couple’s official engagement interview in 2010.
“I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you are younger and I really valued that time for me as well although I didn’t think it at the time,” the mother-of-three has confessed. And William also agreed.
“We were both very young, it was at university, we were both finding ourselves as such and being different characters and stuff, it was very much trying to find our own way and we were growing up, it was a bit of space and a bit of things like that and it worked out for the better,” the future King of England explained.
WATCH BELOW: William and Catherine hold hands at Kensington Palace. Story continues after video.
Now, as Mum and Dad to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, the doting parents seem to be more in love than ever, eleven years after they famously tied the knot at Westminster Abbey in London.
While Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex are famous for always holding hands in public, the Prince and Princess of Wales have always been enormously affectionate with each other – and certainly aren’t shy about showing off a little PDA when they’re out and about.
So we’ve rounded up the cutest examples of their public displays of affection, proving why Prince William and Princess Catherine’s love story is one for the ages.
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The royal couple engaged in a super sweet PDA moment while at the 2023 Royal Charity Polo Cup on July 6.
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This adorable snap – of William looking lovingly into Catherine’s eyes – was captured behind the scenes at The Earthshot Prize 2022 in Boston.
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Prince William couldn’t help but grasp his wife’s shoulder affectionately as they visited Wales just over a week after the Queen’s funeral in 2022.
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He later placed a comforting hand on the princess’ back as he guided her through the crowds.
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Royal fans delighted to see Prince William plant a kiss on Catherine’s cheek during a royal charity polo match in July 2022.
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Even though they weren’t physically touching, royal watchers went into a frenzy when the Prince and Princess of Wales gazed lovingly into each other’s eyes during this royal outing.
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The Prince and Princess of Wales were spotted holding hands as they attended a reception in the Bahamas during their March 2022 royal tour through the Caribbean.
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The pair were unusually affectionate during the outing and were photographed with their arms around one another several times.
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Catherine placed an affectionate hand on William’s as they visited a local church in the Bahamas in 2022.
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William placed a reassuring hand on his wife’s back as they headed onto a plane in Jamaica, in 2022.
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The doting duo put their arms around each other as they danced and laughed with locals while in Belize in 2022.
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A tender moment between Kate and William was caught on camera during filming for the her 2021 Christmas concert, as the couple shared a sweet smile during the event.
Clips of the moment show William offering his wife a small smile, which she returns before looking down at her program. William then continues to watch his wife, smiling at her in a way that simply melts our hearts. Since the carols were filmed at Westminster Abbey where they tied the knot 10 years before, it’s proof their love is still strong!Watch the full clip below!
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The look of love! The Prince and Princess of Wales only had eyes for each other as they shared a tender moment at the 2021 Earthshot Prize Awards in October, 2021.
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To this day, William & Kate still act like adorable lovesick teens. Just two days before their 10th wedding anniversary, the couple played a round of golf at a Durham farm as part of an official outing. Their joyful exclamations and cheeky anecdotes proved they’re more in love than ever.
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Even throughout a global pandemic, these two continue to prove their love and affection for each other is greater than any obstacle. As they remained in lockdown for the most part of 2020 and into 2021, the pair took their work online, sharing video calls with various charities and social enterprises and posting them online. In one call, Kate was asked who her biggest supporter has been throughout lockdown. In one written word, she summed it up.
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The love between these two has never faltered. Whilst on a public walkabout in January 2020, Wills delivered a bunch of flowers meant for Catherine in front of the crowds. Suffice to say they went wild.
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At Wimbledon in late 2019, these two couldn’t take their eyes off each other as they sat in the royal box.
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William looked like the ultimate proud husband as he stood beside Kate outside the Lindo Wing in 2018, following the birth of Prince Louis.
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Kate was pregnant with Princess Charlotte here in 2014 when she attended an evening black tie event with Prince William, who protectively held Kate’s hand as she navigated some steep steps in high heels.
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At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Kate and Wills had fun together in the stands.
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The cute couple sharing a laugh together in early 2014.
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Kate rewarded William with a kiss on the cheek following a charity polo match in 2012.
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Too cute! Prince William and Princess Catherine shared a sweet hug during a charity racing event in 2011, the same year they got married.
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William placed a protective hand on Kate’s back, guiding her away from photographers in 2011.
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Sealed with a kiss! The happy couple on their wedding day in April 2011.
