Kate Middleton pats Prince William on the bottom in adorably cheeky PDA moment at the BAFTAs

Kate Middleton and Prince William shared a rare moment of PDA as the royal couple attend the BAFTAs in London.

• On Sunday, February 19, 2023, the Prince and Princess of Wales attended an event at the Royal Festival Hall in London
• The Prince of Wales was there in his capacity as the President of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
• In other royal news, This royal will star in a new TV series from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes

The Prince and Princess of Wales looked incredible on Sunday night as they stepped out in their finery to celebrate the best of British entertainment on television and film this year. The pair were dressed immaculately as they appeared on the red carpet and waved to the crowd as they arrived at the event.

The royal couple appeared rather wrapped up in one another's company as the pair giggled and whispered in each other's ears while walking down the carpet and into the event. Vogue even captured an adorable moment when the Prince and Princess displayed some real PDA. 

In a brief moment that wasn't caught by paparazzi and only filmed by only snapped by reporters, the Princess appeared to give her husband a light pat on the bottom as the pair walked into the venue. 

The moment captured by Vogue showed Catherine going to grab her husband's hand and William responding by leaning in to hear what she wanted to say, the Princess' hand then gently grazed the Prince's rear with a light tap as they continued to walk to the entrance.

This moment divided some fans. While some liked this cheeky moment, others thought that it looked as though Kate was trying to grab her husband's hand and he swiftly rejected her - or didn't notice her gesture. "Looks like she goes to grab his hand and he pulls away," said one fan. "He actually pulled away from her hand as she tried to hold it," said another.

Some even thought that the Princess accidentally tapped her husband's behind and would not have intended to show a public display of affection like that at such a highly photographed event. "She definitely did not try to do that. They would never do that in public. I think she was just trying to grab his hand," said one commenter.

In any case, the couple was all smiles at the event as they rubbed shoulders with the stars and even met some of the winners backstage after the event. Backstage the couple chatted to Sheila Atim, Daryl McCormack, and Naomi Ackie and shared some private words. Photographs were even snapped of the royal couple meeting the co-hosts of the event on stage, Richard E Grant and Alison Hammond - a dynamic duo that entertained viewers with their down to earth commentary.