Princess Kate delights royal fans with cheeky moment with Prince William as A-list star comments

A lip reader claims to know what the Princess of Wales said in the moments leading up to the rare PDA that has sent royal fans into a frenzy.

Royal fans have expressed their delight at Princess Catherine’s flirty red carpet moment at the BAFTAs with Prince William as the pair indulged in rare displays of public affection including a cheeky “bum pat”.

Footage captured by Vogue from the event shows Catherine, 41, appearing to give Prince William, 40, a loving pat on his bottom at the star-studded event in London, which many interpreted to be a rare moment of PDA for the normally reserved couple.

Princess Catherine taps Prince William on the bottom.

Fans were quick to comment on the affectionate gesture. One wrote on Instagram: “I love how happy they are, were and probably will be even more.

“Really a good thing nowadays! The world needs more smiles.” Others added heart-shaped emojis.

Not everyone was happy, however, with one royal observer stating on Twitter that there was “nothing playful” about the gesture.

“If it was intentional, it was distasteful. Belongs in the privacy of your home,” they wrote.

Opinions varied on the meaning behind the unusually candid gesture.

Body language expert Judi James told The Sun that the bum pat could even be a thinly veiled swipe at Meghan and Harry.

“William and Kate’s tactile, playful behaviours could be an answer to Harry with his comments about coolness and royal men marrying women who ‘fit into the mould’.

“This seems to be Kate showing she should not be fitted into any mould, with her Hollywood-style glamour and her very cheeky gesture to her husband.”

Prince William, Prince of Wales and Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales attend the British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, in London. Picture: AFP

A lip reader told The Mirror the cheeky gesture may not have been be the affectionate gesture it first seemed.

According to Jeremy Freeman, at the beginning of the footage, something appears to grab Catherine’s attention as she turns her head to see what is going on behind her.

Mr Freeman said Catherine appears to say to William: “How did you miss that?”

Prince William allegedly replied by saying: “What?” before Catherine adds: “Stop ignoring” - although it can’t be made out who she tells him to stop ignoring.

He allegedly replies by saying: “Ignoring who?” before Catherine carries out the cheeky bum pat.

Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales attend the BAFTAs. Picture: AFP

The Princess of Wales looked stunning in a chic white one-shouldered Alexander McQueen gown that she first donned for the awards in 2019.

The garment had undergone some minor alterations, with a floral design on the shoulder swapped out for a train draped across it.

To accessorise, the royal opted for $31 Zara earrings that have since sold out.

The toga-style ensemble showed off the royal’s trim figure and featured a fitted bodice, cinched waist and graceful floor-length skirt as well as flowing sleeves.

Princess Catherine contrasted the stunning snowy dress with dramatic black opera gloves designed by Cornelia James, the late Queen’s preferred glovemaker, while her husband was dressed to the nines in a double-breasted, black velvet dinner suit with matching bow-tie.

Catherine, Princess of Wales attends the BAFTAs at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, in London. Picture: AFP

Princess Catherine’s beautiful and bold look was the talk of the night, attracting the opinion of another Catherine - Hollywood star Catherine Zeta-Jones, who also attended the awards.

Taking to Prince William and Princess Catherine’s latest Instagram post, the Chicago Oscar winner, who is also Michael Douglas’ wife commented: “Glorious,” alongside a red heart emoji.

While many fans agreed with the Welsh actress, however, some fans drew a line.

“From the shoulders up, perfection. The gloves? No,” wrote one, while another wrote “I’m proud of her for doing the gloves. A little edgy, out of her comfort zone,” they wrote alongside an okay emoji.

Originally published as Princess Kate delights royal fans with cheeky moment with Prince William as A-list star comments