The hidden reason Prince William hugged England's Lionesses, according to Royal butler

Prince William may have broken royal protocol at Euro 2022 when he hugged the Lionesses - but a former royal butler suggested that the gesture was “deliberate.”

Last weekend, the football team beat Germany with a score of 2-1, which ended England’s nearly 60-year wait for a trophy by claiming a first major tournament win since 1966.

The Duke of Cambridge, a football fan himself, was in the crowd joyously cheering the team on.

And after the game, he headed to the pitch to congratulate the players on their win and hand over their medals.

To further express praise for the team, the prince gave each of the Lionesses a hug as they celebrated the historic victory.

Although an emotional moment for the players and fans, Prince William did technically break the royal rules, which limit the family members to formal handshakes during official meetings.

But, Grant Harrold, a royal expert and former butler of Prince Charles, said the kind gesture was a “deliberate choice.”

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"Seeing royals hug makes them relevant and modern.” Getty

In conversation with OK!, he noted that there was a rule “that you could look, but you couldn’t touch” the royals.

“If you met a royal, you could look at them, and if they offered you a handshake, you were to accept it.

“That was a lot to do with the mystique surrounding the family but also for security reasons, too,” he told the outlet.

But as older traditions and customs continue to be changed to more updated practices, Harrold said Prince William’s approach is indicative of modernity.

“I think William and the other younger royals have realised that they can’t get away with being aloof.

“The Queen can get away with it because she’s the Queen, and she’s from a different era, but the younger royals have been brought up very differently,” he continued before referencing the late Princess Diana as a “hugger” and how that influenced the duke’s upbringing.

“It won’t feel unnatural to William - if anything, it’d feel more uncomfortable if it was just a strict handshake. As well as this, seeing royals hug makes them relevant and modern.”

Elsewhere, Harrold said that the duke breaking the old rules may be a way of showing the world his human side as he stepped up his workload in the British monarchy.

“He’s really eased into his role,” he continued.

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