To hug the Lionesses during the Women’s Euro 2022 final, the Duke of Cambridge allegedly “deliberately” violated royal protocol.
Prince William is a well-known football supporter, so it’s hardly unexpected that he went to the Euro final last week given his position as FA president.
Prince William, 40, stayed behind to thank the players and present them with their medals following the England Lionesses’ resounding victory over Germany, which they did by a score of 2-1.
The Duke of Cambridge has previously demonstrated his support for the team, but this time he broke royal decorum by hugging the players as they crossed the field.
A senior royal hugging a member of the public is an unusual sight, but a royal specialist claimed that it was done on purpose.
Grant Harrold, a former butler to the royal family, spoke candidly about William’s personable yet dignified personality in an interview with OK Magazine.
“Historically, it was forbidden to touch a royal, but you could stare at them,” he remarked. “If you encountered a royal, you were expected to look them in the eye and accept their handshake if they extended it.”
That had a lot to do with the family’s atmosphere of mystery but also with security concerns, he explained.
Grant clarified that William’s method is typical of a more contemporary royalty as hugs grow more popular and handshakes fade into obscurity.
He believes that William and the other younger royals have acknowledged they cannot continue to act distantly.
Although William’s mother, Princess Diana, tragically passed away when he was just 15, Grant says that William’s close relationship with his mother has made him tend to gravitate towards physical contact as a natural thing to do.
The Queen can get away with it because she’s the Queen and she’s from a different period, but the younger royals have been brought up very differently.
Diana was a hugger, and I believe that William’s upbringing had a lot to do with his love of hugging and personal touch with others.
William won’t find it strange; in fact, it would be more awkward if it were just a firm handshake. In addition, watching royals embrace makes them seem current.
Additionally, as William has assumed more responsibility recently, violating royal convention might be a means for the people to get a glimpse of the “genuine” him.
We’ve noticed a lot more compassion recently because, according to Grant, as he works harder and becomes more comfortable in his role, he wants people to see the real him. He has adapted to his new role.
According to a royal specialist, Diana’s loving upbringing is what gave William the habit of hugging Lionesses.
