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Kate Middleton and Prince William rarely hold hands in public, and it could be because the Princess of Wales has “cold hands.” Here’s the sweet compliment William gave his wife about her hands and why they rarely show affection in public. 

Prince William and Kate Middleton smile and wave.
Prince William and Kate Middleton | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Prince Wiliam and Kate Middleton rarely hold hands in public

The Prince and Princess of Wales are rarely seen holding hands (or showing other displays of affection) in public, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t deeply in love. There are practical reasons why the royal couple doesn’t hold hands while doing official business. 

“William and Kate’s habit of not holding hands in public seems to be based on a conscious decision rather than any aversion to this particular form of PDA,” says body language expert Judi James (via Express). 

She noted that Prince William and Kate Middleton have been spotted clasping hands when off duty, and they find other ways to show affection in public. “They were photographed ‘off camera’ walking through a hotel lobby this year holding hands happily like any other couple, so the choice to allow their arms to hang close but with the hands not quite touching seems to be deliberate,” said James. 

“Their more tactile PDAs include back-touches or placing an arm around each other’s waists. These gestures reflect high levels of affection and attraction, so there might be a practical reason to avoid the hand clasp.”

The expert noted that conducting official business could be awkward while holding hands. “As senior royals at events, the hand clasp might be seen as a clumsy ritual when there are many hands to shake and so many people to greet one at a time.”

James also pointed out that Kate and William are likely carrying on the royal tradition of withholding from PDA. “As top-tier royals, they would also have inherited the tradition of not performing PDAs like hand holding,” she explained. “The Queen and Philip rarely touched in public apart from the odd arm-hold and Charles tends to be the same.”

Prince William made a sweet comment about Kate Middleton’s ‘cold hands’

There could be another practical reason why Prince William and Kate Middleton rarely hold hands in public: the Princess of Wales has “the coldest hands ever,” according to her husband.

In March 2022, William and Kate stepped out for a joint engagement in Wales. They greeted fans who braved the cold to catch a glimpse of the royal couple (per Hello!).

Acknowledging the bitter weather, the Prince of Wales was heard telling the public, “[Kate] has the coldest hands ever.” He affectionately added, “They say, ‘Cold hands, warm heart.’”

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The Prince and Princess of Wales have been singing each other’s praises for years

Prince William commenting on Kate Middleton’s cold hands wasn’t the first time he has complimented his wife in public. The royal couple has been married since 2011, and they have been singing each other’s praises for even longer. 

After announcing their engagement in 2010, William said that his relationship with Kate had a strong foundation of friendship (per Hello!). “Obviously we both have a very fun time together, both have a very good sense of humor about things, we’re down to earth, we take the mickey out of each other a lot, and she’s got plenty of habits that make me laugh that I tease her about.”

And Kate said, “You know, over the years William has looked after me, he’s treated me very well – as the loving boyfriend he is, he is very supportive of me through the good times and also through the bad times.”