A moment shared between the Prince and Princess of Wales during their first major public appearance since the media fallout sparked by the publication of a new royal book, has become the subject of a viral video on social-media site TikTok.
William and Kate attended the annual Royal Variety Performance in London on November 30. It was just days after a Dutch translation of a new book published by Meghan Markle biographer, Omid Scobie, appeared to name members of the royal family alleged to have participated in a racially insensitive conversation referencing the skin color of the future Prince Archie.
The conversation was referenced by Harry and Meghan in their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, which sparked a wave of anti-racist backlash against the monarchy.
In the English version of his book Endgame, Scobie told readers that the names of two royals were referenced in letters between Meghan and King Charles about the alleged conversation, but that he could not reveal them due to U.K. laws.
The Dutch translation included names, though the author subsequently put this down to a translation issue and said that he did not include them in his final submission.
The names included in the Dutch translation were subsequently shared on social media and reported by the press. Buckingham Palace has not officially commented on the issue.
Amid this media storm, William and Kate made their appearance at the Royal Variety Performance where they were hosting Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel for the evening in central London.
As William and Kate stepped out of their car, an unidentified member of the crowd of gathered photographers, press and public was heard shouting questions about Scobie's book and the controversy surrounding it.
Uploaded to TikTok by user @princesscatherine_ on December 1, footage of the couple walking the red carpet at the start of the evening has gone viral, with fans highlighting Prince William's apparent protectiveness of his wife amid the questioning.
Captioned "Reporters were shouting questions at Catherine" and "William reaching for Catherine's hand," the couple's hand-holding moment has been viewed over 512,000 times on the platform so far.
@princesscatherine_ When it crumbles. We will stand tallFace it all, TOGETHER. #katemiddleton #princesscatherine #princewilliam #princessofwales #fyp ♬ Skyfall - Adele
The video has received in excess of 43,000 likes and over 1,080 comments, many of which have praised the royals.
"Our future king and queen love them," wrote one TikTok user.
"I loved the engagement ring of [Princess] Diana on her hand in full view," posted another, with a further comment reading: "Prince William went into protective mode....the more these two get attacked the more they get stronger and more together I love it."
For the event, Kate made a striking aesthetic impression, wearing a streamlined evening gown in a navy blue from the brand Safiyaa. The dress featured an embellished high neckline, pointed shoulders and floor-length split sleeves.
The royals watched the variety performance, which raises money for charity, featuring acts such as Cher and Hannah Waddingham.
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.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
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