Prince William’s Gestures to King and Queen Go Viral
Published Jun 10, 2024 at 6:54 AM EDTUpdated Jun 10, 2024 at 9:59 AM EDT

Footage of Prince William greeting his father and stepmother, King Charles and Queen Camilla, has gone viral on TikTok after the royal trio appeared at an event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings this month.

William’s relationship with his father has been the subject of increased public focus since the king’s accession in 2022, whereupon he made his elder son the Prince of Wales.

In his new senior role, William has taken on a higher profile public role within the monarchy, which has only increased in responsibility since Charles was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.

Prince William at the U.K. national commemoration for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings with King Charles and Queen Camilla in Portsmouth, England, on June 5, 2024. Footage from the event has gone viral… More DYLAN MARTINEZ – POOL/GETTY IMAGES/ANDREW MATTHEWS – POOL/GETTY IMAGES
On June 5, the prince, the king and queen attended the U.K.’s national commemoration event for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, which took place on June 6, 1944, beginning the liberation of France and hastening the end of World War II in Europe.

The royals attended the event in the naval city of Portsmouth, England, where Charles and William gave speeches to honor the British and allied veterans present.

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Uploaded to TikTok by user royalfamilyfanpage5 on June 6, footage of William greeting his father and stepmother prior to their speeches has gone viral, gaining over 450,000 views on the video sharing platform, so far.

The clip highlights the moment the prince met King Charles with a kiss on the cheek, moving on to offer the same gesture to Queen Camilla.

Also included in the video was footage taken from the event, such as William rehearsing his speech and meeting veterans.

The video, captioned “80th Anniversary of D-Day,” has received in excess of 24,000 likes and over 600 comments, many of which praised the prince and his interactions with his father and stepmother.

“Such a class act!,” wrote one TikTik user.

“William always respectful to his father and stepmother. Love the moment being shared,” posted another, with a further comment reading: “Prince William is Britain’s best asset.”

The prince hasn’t had an easy start to 2024. In January, Princess Kate stepped out of the public eye to undergo abdominal surgery, after which she announced in March that she had been diagnosed with cancer and needed a course of preventative chemotherapy.

After taking time out to support his wife and three children, William returned to work, undertaking a number of events alone that he would usually have carried out alongside Kate.

The couple celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary on April 29, releasing a never before seen photograph from their wedding day to mark the occasion.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek‘s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.

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