Kate Middleton Taps Prince William’s Butt on BAFTAs Red Carpet

Packing on the PDA! Princess Kate subtly tapped Prince William‘s butt at the BAFTAs on Sunday, February 19.

The two attended the 76th British Academy Film Awards together at Southbank Centre in London. A TikTok posted by Vogue shows the pair talking to each other while walking the massive red carpet. The Princess of Wales, 41, has a grin on her face as she speaks to her husband and quickly swats his rear end.

The PDA might surprise royal watchers as the pair, who married in 2011, don’t often show gratuitous displays of affection — especially while on duty.

The couple wore complementary outfits to the BAFTAs, which Prince William, 40, has been president of since 2010. Kate wore a white, one-shouldered Alexander McQueen gown, the same one she wore to the 2019 BAFTAs. However, she altered it with draped, cascading fabric coming down the strap and dramatic, full-length black gloves. She accessorized with metallic floral statement earrings and a black clutch.

Will, meanwhile, donned a velvet suit jacket and patent leather shoes for the event, where Helen Mirren honored his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

“BAFTA’s relationship with Her Majesty was longstanding and BAFTA would not be what it is today without her loyal support,” Mirren, 77, said, per the Daily Mail. “In 1953, her coronation broadcast had the world watching. From that time, she was unquestionably the nation’s leading lady but as mysterious as a silent film star.”

The duo looked emotional as they applauded Mirren’s tribute.

While the couple aren’t known for their displays of affection, William and Kate occasionally show the public their love. In July 2022, William shocked onlookers when he planted a kiss on his wife following his participation in the Royal Polo Cup in Windsor, England. They were photographed embracing after the event, and at one point, William placed his hand on the small of Kate’s back.

Their latest bit of PDA comes two months after Meghan Markle claimed the Prince and Princess of Wales were uncomfortable the first time they met her due to her affectionate nature.

“Even when William and Kate came over and I met her for the first time, they came over for dinner, and I remember I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot. I was a hugger. I’ve always been a hugger. I didn’t realize that is really jarring for a lot of Brits,” the Suits alum, 41, said in Netflix’s Harry & Meghan docuseries. “I guess I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside, that there is a forward-facing way of being, and then you close the door and you go, ‘Oh, alright, OK, I can relax now,’ but that formality carries over on both sides, and that was surprising to me.”