Prince William and Kate Middleton at the concert commemorating the 80th anniversary of VE Day at Horse Guards Parade in London on May 8, 2025.Credit : 

Chris Jackson/Getty

Prince William showed his protective affection for wife Kate Middleton with a subtle move at their latest royal engagement.

On May 8, the Prince and Princess of Wales made a surprise appearance at the VE Day 80: A Celebration To Remember concert in London, where they joined King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh. The musical evening concluded the national celebrations for the 80th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day, commemorating the end of World War II in Europe on May 8, 1945, and William showed his love for Kate with a tender gesture.

As Prince William, 42, and Princess Kate, 43, filed into their seats, he put his hand on his wife’s back to guide her.

While the British royals have historically refrained from PDA (often only sharing a public kiss on their royal wedding days), the Prince and Princess of Wales have seemingly relaxed their stance on the matter as Princess Kate has gradually resumed public duties after stepping back while undergoing treatment for cancer in 2024.

At the concert on Thursday, cameras captured the split-second moment where the Prince of Wales guided his wife to their seats in the front row of a box at the show.

In another romantic moment, Princess Kate gave William a total look of love.

It’s thought that there are no formal rules governing how affectionate royal couples can act towards one another in public — it’s at their own discretion.

“Senior members of the royal family would likely not be told how to interact or when they can or can not show PDA and would be trusted to use their better judgement as to when it’s appropriate,” royal etiquette expert Myka Meier, founder and director of Beaumont Etiquette, previously told PEOPLE.  “The royals often adjust PDA to mirror the formality of the event they are attending.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales are parents to children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, and recently rang in their 14th wedding anniversary on April 29. William and Kate were away on the actual day as the calendar overlapped with a working visit to the Scottish Isles of Mull and Iona, and their team released an intimate picture of them together.

“Wonderful to be back on the Isle of Mull. Thank you to everyone for such a warm welcome ❤️  W & C,” read the caption of the snap shared to social media, where they had their arms linked as they looked out a lake.

Scotland is a special place for the Prince and Princess of Wales as it’s where they first met and fell in love as students at the University of St. Andrews in Edinburgh. Their two-day stay in Scotland on April 29 and 30 was their first official overnight work trip since the Princess of Wales announced in January that she was in remission from a cancer diagnosis she announced last year.

Princess Kate shared in September that she completed chemotherapy treatment in the most intimate video yet of the Wales family’s private world. The footage filmed in Norfolk (where they have their country home) showed William and Kate cuddling, laughing and laying on a blanket together. In audio over the video audio, she spoke, in part, about the power of love.

“This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved,” Kate said.