Renowned football fan and president of the Football Association Prince William made an appearance at the Euro 2022 Finals on Sunday night (July 31). After watching the Lionesses bring it home with a triumphant victory which saw them beat Germany 2-1 at Wembley Stadium, the Duke of Cambridge handed the team their medals, and congratulated them personally.
The huge victory clearly meant a lot to William, who has expressed support for the Lionesses in the past, as he ditched royal protocol to give team members hugs as they made their way across the pitch, OK! reports. Despite the sight of a senior royal embracing others being a rare one, one royal expert claims that William's actions were deliberate, and not initiated by the footballers.
In an interview with OK!, former royal butler Grant Harrold opened up about William’s approachable yet respectable nature. He said: “Historically, there was a rule with royals that you could look but you couldn’t touch. If you met a royal, you could look at them and if they offered you a handshake, you were to accept it.
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“That was a lot to do with the mystique surrounding the family but also for security reasons, too."
It seems that handshakes are out and hugs are in for Prince William, who Harrold says represents a more modern monarchy. He told the publication: "I think William and the other younger royals have realised that they can’t get away with being aloof.
"The Queen can get away with it because she’s the Queen and she’s from a different era, but the younger royals have been brought up very differently."
Although William's mother, Princess Diana, passed away when he was just 15 years old, Harrold claims that his close relationship with his mother explains why he gravitates towards physical contact. He added: "Diana was a hugger and I think that this physical contact and hugging people has a lot to do with how William was raised.
"It won’t feel unnatural to William - if anything, it’d feel more uncomfortable if it was just a strict handshake. As well as this, seeing royals hug makes them relevant and modern."
Additionally, with William stepping up in his role in recent months, the breaking of royal protocol may be a way of allowing members of the public to see a glimpse of the 'real' him.
“As he does more work and gets to grips with his role, he wants people to see the real him which is why we’ve seen a lot more affection recently,” says Grant. “He’s really eased into his role.
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