Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are fans of showing PDA, even at royal events. The Duchess of Sussex put a hand on her husband's back during a Buckingham Palace garden party. The couple linked arms at the Royal Ascot while mingling with other royals. Even before they were married, they often arrived hand-in-hand to their official engagements, which do count as work functions.
But today, while accompanying Her Majesty at the Queen's Young Leaders Awards, the newlyweds kept their hands to themselves. They walked side by side while following the Queen as they entered the room, or stood together while chatting with honorees, but they didn't touch.
The ceremony, which honoured young people across the Commonwealth for their leadership and service, was a lot more formal than previous events the Duke and Duchess have attended together. 'As such, it was not the appropriate forum for Harry and Meghan to be laying on the PDA,' royal commentator Victoria Arbiter told BAZAAR.com.
'The couple will have been keen to pay tribute to the youngsters in attendance and for the focus of the evening to remain on their stellar achievements,' Arbiter added. 'There will of course be engagements in the future in which hand holding and affection is perfectly acceptable, but tonight, in the presence of the Queen, the couple showed the dignity and respect such an occasion affords.'
The body language Harry and Meghan exhibited today was similar to that of Prince William and Kate Middleton, who typically refrain from showing PDA, even on less formal occasions.
There's no written protocol stating that royal couples can't touch each other in public, but William and Kate are less likely to do so because they're 'working representatives of British Monarchy' and want to 'remain professional,' etiquette expert Myka Meier told People in 2016.
Ultimately, it depends on the couple's preferences and the nature of the event.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
