Prince William's reactions while attending a sporting event with Princess Kate in 2015 have amused fans, after footage from the couple's interactions with a British sports star resurfaced on TikTok.
The Prince and Princess of Wales celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary in April, having met during their college years and getting engaged in 2010. The couple has three children: Prince George, who is 10 years old; Princess Charlotte, who is 9; and Prince Louis, who is 6.
Since the beginning of the year, the family has received increased public attention, after Kate stepped out of the public eye amid health challenges. In March, she announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer following an operation in January, and that she was undergoing "preventative chemotherapy."
In the two-month period between her surgery and the announcement, speculation about her health, whereabouts and marriage began to circulate. While this has subsided, fans have taken to social media to share highlights and favorite moments from the royals' past events in the absence of regular new appearances.
One such post, uploaded to TikTok by user @helensmccrory, featured William and Kate's 2015 visit to Portsmouth, a naval city in southern England, to meet competitors in the British leg of the America's Cup World Series sailing race.
The video has received more than 209,000 views and 19,000 likes, with many viewers praising what appeared to be the prince's protectiveness over his wife.
During their visit, the royals spent time with Sir Ben Ainslie, a four-time Olympic sailing gold medalist who discussed elements of the race and the British team's efforts with the couple.
In the edited compilation video of this visit, numerous clips show William's reactions as his wife chatted with the Olympian.
"He's so silly," the poster wrote in the video's caption.
"Him being overprotective is my favorite thinggg," a user commented.
"STOPP I live for jealous Will," another added.
A commenter said, "I could not stop laughing at his expressions."
Other users expressed their admiration for the Olympian, with one writing, "That's Sir Ben Ainslie and he's potentially one of the most handsome men to walk Britain."
Kate and William have interacted with Ainslie at official events over the years. In 2022, the princess participated in a friendly Commonwealth race with his crew during a visit to Portsmouth.
In 2019, the royals, who have expressed an interest in sailing, launched the King's Cup, a race along the coast of the Isle of Wight, off southern England.
Each royal formed part of a competing crew, with the event raising money for their various patronages. While neither William nor Kate won the race (losing out to the crew headed by TV personality Bear Grylls), the prince's team placed ahead of the princess', as her team was disqualified because of a false start.
At the time, Buckingham Palace said the couple "hoped" the race would become an annual event. However, no subsequent events have taken place, with plans likely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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 and Queen Camilla, William and Princess Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince 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.
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
