Prince William is a devoted follower of the sport of football. And considering that he is the leader of the Football Association, royal fans weren’t shocked to see him watching the European Championship final the week before. But the thing that he did after the match was the one that truly took everyone by surprise.
It took England’s women’s soccer team 56 years, but they finally got their hands on a trophy last weekend when they won the 2022 Euro Cup by defeating Germany by a score of 2-1. The tremendous victory achieved by the Lionesses left the Duke of Cambridge feeling emotional, which prompted him to go out onto the field and congratulate the players while also presenting them with their medals.
The Duke of Cambridge has previously demonstrated his love for the sport, but this time many people are saying that he broke royal protocol by giving the players hugs as they made their way across the pitch. In the past, the Duke of Cambridge has shown his love for the sport. During official engagements, members of the royal family are required to restrict themselves to offering only formal handshakes as per royal protocol. Therefore, it is an unusual sight to see a member of the royal family embrace members of the general public; however, a royal expert claims that the duke did this on purpose.
During an interview with OK, royal expert and former butler to Prince Charles Grant Harrold stated, “Historically, there was a rule with royals that you could look but you couldn’t touch. If you ever crossed paths with a royal, you were allowed to look them in the eye and you were expected to shake hands with them if they extended their hand. That had a lot to do with maintaining the aura of mystery that surrounded the family, but it was also done for safety reasons.
According to Harrold, however, the approach that Prince William takes exemplifies the modern era as older customs are gradually being superseded by more contemporary practices. Harrold went on to say, “I think William and the other younger royals have realized that they can’t get away with being aloof.”
He continued by saying, “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.” He was referring to the fact that the Queen is from a different era than the younger royals. Since Diana was a hugger, I believe that William’s upbringing included a lot of physical contact in the form of hugs and other forms of close human contact. William won’t find it odd or uncomfortable in the least; in fact, he might find it odder if the interaction consisted only of a firm handshake. In addition to this, the public’s ability to witness members of the royal family embrace keeps them current and hip.
Prince William has been actively playing a prominent role in changing the equation between the public and the royal family. This change has been brought about in large part by Prince William. And according to the royal expert, the gesture of the prince is a way of showing a more humane side of the royal family as a way to demonstrate the royal family’s commitment to charitable work.
He continued by saying, “As he does more work and gets a better grasp with his role, he wants people to see the real him, which is why we’ve seen a lot more affection recently.” His transition into the role has been smooth.