A brief moment between Prince William and Princess Kate outside the Royal Albert Hall has blown up online after viewers thought they spotted him giving her an air kiss on the hand. The couple was arriving for the Royal Variety Performance on Wednesday night, stepping out of their car into a wall of waiting cameras and fans.
In the clip that sparked the excitement, their car rolls to a stop while camera flashes flicker against the window. William takes a breath, straightens his bow tie, and then seems to lift Kate’s hand towards his face gently. He stops just short, as if sending her a quiet little kiss before the door is opened for him.
The short video has been watched more than 248,000 times and has picked up thousands of likes since it was posted on X with the caption asking, “Did I just see him air kiss her hand at timestamp 0.16 before he got out of the car!?”
Did I just see him air kiss her hand at timestamp 0.16
— Uhuru Mzalendo (@uhurumzalendo1) November 19, 2025
before he got out of the car!?pic.twitter.com/MoZr6s7SrG
Once out of the car, William follows Kate to greet dignitaries as the cameras keep firing. Royal watchers loved the moment, calling it sweet and unexpectedly intimate for a couple so used to being in the spotlight.
Inside the venue, Kate revealed a bit about life at home with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. She admitted all three are Paddington Bear superfans, which made the evening slightly tricky. The cast of Paddington The Musical were walking the red carpet and William and Kate even posed with Paddington himself. But Kate confessed to nine-year-old twins Emelie and Olivia Edwards that her children had been disappointed not to come with them.
“My kiddies were very sad, we’re going to have to keep it a big secret that I saw you guys,” she said. “They were very sad not to be joining us.” She added she had told them that children were not allowed to soften the blow.
Fans didn’t take long to share their thoughts on the viral clip. One person wrote that they slowed the footage down and were convinced William had gone in for the air kiss, calling it “so sweet.” Another commented that Kate was “lucky,” although the original poster quickly replied saying “He is luckier to have her in his life. His life has been impacted much more positively by her presence in it.”
The tiny moment has ended up being one of the most talked about parts of the evening, with fans delighted to catch what looked like a private show of affection between the Prince and Princess of Wales as they stepped into the glare of the cameras.
