The heart-warming moment, which went viral last year, occurred after Kate delivered a speech for the Royal Foundation on World Mental Health Day, focusing on mental health and young people in the social media era

A body language expert has unveiled a deeper meaning behind Prince William’s “thoughtful and loving gesture” towards Princess Kate.

The heart-warming moment, which went viral last year, occurred after Kate delivered a speech for the Royal Foundation on World Mental Health Day, focusing on mental health and young people in the social media era. The video captures Prince William tenderly pulling out her chair as she returns to sit beside him after speaking.

Although barely noticeable, observant fans were softened by the moment and it gained hundred and thousands of views on TikTok, with many commenting words of praise, commending Prince William for showing such respect and love to his wife in a public place. Touched by the subtle display of affection, one person said: “His mother brought him up with impeccable manners,” while another said, “These two are very connected to each other. I love how he puts his hand on her waist in crowds like ‘I’m here, I’ve got you!’”

But now, body language expert Judi James has revealed that this small moment between the pair not only represents a “small act of thoughtfulness”, as well as the Prince’s “pride and approval” for his wife, but the gesture is more complex than if first might seem. She said: “This very thoughtful and loving gesture by William is actually more complicated in terms of ‘getting it right’ than it looks.

William’s ‘thoughtful and loving gestures’ towards Princess Kate held a deeper meaning ( Image: AP)

She continued: “This is Kate’s speech so therefore Kate’s moment of higher importance, higher status and spotlight. If William had over-fussed or gone ‘full gentleman’, standing to pull her seat back and pushing it in under her legs as she sat down it would have undermined the moment of equality. His role his is being part of the audience, clapping his wife proudly after her speech.

“So this quiet gesture of thoughtfulness shows his ability to be pitch-perfect in terms of power balance. He registers empathy and synchronicity with his wife by automatically spotting the fact that she will find it easier to sit if the chair is subtly pulled out but he doesn’t make a big show of his gesture to make himself look good.”

The expert suggested that even more profound is William’s use of this slight gesture to communicate with Kate without saying a word. James said: “The other message here though is how he also seems to be using it as a subtle ‘well done’ to Kate.” She added: “When someone finishes a speech, especially someone as nervous about public speaking as Kate, a pat on the back and some verbal praise is usually welcome.

“But if William had done it here it could have emphasised her nervousness and even come across as patronising. So the small act of thoughtfulness does the job for him as a show of pride and approval. Apart from that it’s so good to see a guy who must have had chairs automatically pulled out for him most of his life perform this loving act himself for a wife he is clearly proud of.”