After nearly six years of marriage and two children, there's no doubt that Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge are very much in love. The royal couple, who will celebrate their wedding anniversary in April, have been known to make occasional displays of public affection – but in the past decade they have been photographed holding hands less than a dozen times. Some royal watchers might assume that etiquette or royal protocol prevents the pair from indulging in PDA. But that's not the case. Rather William and Kate choose to remain professional when they are out and about because they are working representatives of the British monarchy.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrince William and Duchess Kate pictured on their wedding day in April 2011
HELLO! Magazine's royal correspondent Emily Nash explains: "The Duke and Duchess are almost always seen in photographs taken during official engagements so they are at 'work' and it would be unprofessional to hold hands. They also need to shake hands with a huge number of people as they meet then, so aside from being on duty, it wouldn't be very practical! We know they are very affectionate and that sometimes comes across during more light-hearted moments, at sporting events or similar, but you wouldn't expect them to put that on show while in more formal situations."
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe couple shared a loving embrace while cheering on Team GB at London 2012
Certainly different occasions call for different behaviour; William and Kate made headlines in 2012 when they were photographed hugging in the stands as they celebrated Team GB's success at the London Olympics. They also enjoyed a sweet embrace after competing against one another in a Dragon Boat Race in Canada in 2011. And in April last year, as they enjoyed a rare moment out of the media spotlight, they walked with their arms wrapped around each other as they trekked up to the Tiger's Nest monastery in Bhutan.
© Photo: Getty ImagesTrekking to the Tiger's Nest Monastery in Bhutan in April 2016
Speaking shortly after the couple announced their engagement in 2010, William gave an insight into his romance with Kate. "Obviously we both have a very fun time together, we both have a very good sense of humour about things. We're down to earth, we take the mickey out of each other a lot," he said. "And she's got plenty of habits that make me laugh that I tease her about." Kate added: "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."
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