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An affectionate interaction between the Prince and Princess of Wales at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday has taken the internet by storm, as fans shared footage captured as the couple took part in the welcoming ceremonies for the state visit of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
William and Kate officially welcomed the president and first lady at their hotel in London on Tuesday morning before taking part in a military ceremony to start the state visit with King Charles and Queen Camilla.
After a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace, the royals and their guests mingled in the picture gallery of the residence where artifacts linking Britain and South Korea, from the royal collection, had been displayed.
During this time, royal editor for the Daily Mail, Rebecca English, captured an intimate moment between William and Kate on video, posting it to her X (formerly Twitter) followers with the caption: "A very sweet moment between the Prince and Princess of Wales as they depart the Buckingham Palace Picture Gallery #statevisit."
The footage, showing William affectionately placing his hand on his wife's back before she returned the gesture, was soon picked up by royal watchers and fans of the couple, resulting in hundreds of thousands of views and inspiring a number of hastily compiled viral edits.
One such clip was posted to video sharing site TikTok with the caption "Lovebirds inside Buckingham Palace this afternoon" has been viewed over 600,000 times in less than 24 hours and received in excess of 26,000 likes and over 300 comments, many of which have praised the royal couple.
@the_blazing_royals NEW VIDEO: Lovebirds inside Buckingham Palace this afternoon ? #royalfamily #princewilliam #princesscatherine ♬ Can We Kiss Forever? - Kina
"They look great together. I notice a lot of holding now," wrote one user.
"Could they be any more adorable this is my king and queen," posted another, with a further comment reading: "She accepts his gesture then slightly returns the affection subtly. Then it's back to business. Love them."
This is not the first time one of William and Kate's public displays of affection (PDA) have gone viral on social media.
In recent years, the couple have increasingly become the focus of similar posts online, focused on moments from the pair holding hands on overseas tours to brief glances exchanged at royal ceremonies.
Most recently, the couple inspired several online videos when they shared a congratulatory kiss at a charity polo match in July, where William's team won and Kate was in charge of handing out the prizes.
In February the couple also made headlines when Kate was spotted casually patting her husband on the butt as they walked the red carpet of the annual BAFTA Film Awards in London.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more