Prince William and Kate Middleton indulge in rare PDA during French state visit

Prince William and Kate Middleton let their love take center stage during their French state visit.

The royals, who rarely engage in public displays of affection, were spotted holding hands as they formally welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to the UK on Tuesday.

Photos showed Middleton holding hands with William, likely allowing him to help her down the steps, as they came down the Royal Dais at Datchet Road at Windsor Castle.

Elsewhere at the event, she was seen rubbing William’s lower back.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 43, normally steer clear of PDA as they adhere to the royal precedent set by previous royal couples.

However, it seems the couple has been straying away from the royal rulebook and showing more affection toward each other after Middleton’s recent brush with cancer.

Middleton revealed her cancer diagnosis in March 2024, two months after stepping back from the spotlight to undergo abdominal surgery.

In September, she announced she had finished her chemotherapy treatment, sharing an intimate video with her family on social media.

Months later, in January, Middleton announced she was officially cancer-free. Since then, she’s made her triumphant return to her royal roles — most recently attending the annual Trooping the Colour parade in June.

Despite putting on a brave face, she recently admitted she’s unable to “function normally at home” as she’s used to.

“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment,” she explained. “Treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal,’ but actually [that’s not the case].”

Middleton added, “[Having] someone to help talk you through that, show you and guide you through that sort of phase that comes after treatment … is really valuable.”

Finding a “new normal … takes time,” the royal continued.