In a surprising turn of events, Kate Middleton revealed her affectionate side this week, contradicting claims made by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle that she is reserved. The Princess of Wales met with British Army Officer Cpt. Preet Chandi and gave him a hug during a visit to a school in Derby, and the next day, she met one of her former prep school teachers, Jim Embury, in a crowd outside a museum during an official visit to Cornwall and embraced him while thanking him for the things he taught her.
Meghan Markle had previously claimed in the Netflix docuseries “Harry & Meghan” that premiered in December that she hugged the Prince and Princess of Wales the first time they came over for dinner. She later discovered that hugging is not commonplace in Britain, and Prince Harry claimed in his memoir “Spare” that William and Kate were aloof, citing an incident where Kate was upset with Meghan for discussing her hormones.
However, a friend of Kate’s told People magazine that she is warm, friendly, and greets everyone with a big hug and kiss. The princess has been seen hugging others while performing her royal duties, including embracing a 2-year-old girl named Charlotte, whom she met in Wales. While royal protocol frowns upon too many public displays of affection, Kate seems to have a natural inclination for showing affection.
