Photo: Karwai Tang/WireImage; ARTHUR EDWARDS/POOL/AFP via Getty
Kate Middletonis on a hugging spree.
The Princess of Wales, 41, was quick to embrace some familiar faces during royal engagements this week. While congratulating Captain Preet Chandi on her record-breaking expedition in Antarctica during aschool visiton Wednesday, Kate greeted the explorer with a big hug. Another sweet moment came on Thursday during Princess Kate andPrince William’svisit to Cornwall, when shereunited with one of her former teachers.
“Kate’s a big hugger,“the friend said. “She is warm and friendly and greets everyone with a big hug and kiss. It comes naturally to her to be like that.”
Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales.Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
Recalling thefirst time that Meghan met Kate, the Duchess of Sussex said on Netflix show that she was “in ripped jeans and barefoot” whenPrince Williamand Kate came over for dinner.
“Like I was a hugger, always been a hugger,” Meghan, 41, said. “I didn’t realize that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits.”
“I guess I’d start to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside, carried through on the inside,” she added. “There is a forward-facing way of being and then you close the door and you relax now. But that formality carries over on both sides. And that was surprising to me.”
Prince Charles, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.Samir Hussein/WireImage
Princess Kate and the rest of the royal family havepublicly kept quietin the wake ofPrince Harry’s memoir,Spare, despite the jarring allegations made, fromPrince William’salleged physical assaulton his younger brother to damaging press leaks within the family. The Duke of Sussex, 38,portrayed his sister-in-law as coldtowards him and his wife in the book and surrounding interviews.
“Some of the things that my brother and sister-in-law — some of the way that they were acting or behaving definitely felt to me as though, unfortunately, that stereotyping was causing a bit of a barrier to them really sort of, you know, introducing or welcoming her in,” Harry said.
Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty
A family friend tells PEOPLE in this week’scover storythatKate is “no shrinking violet"despite staying silent about the claims.
Another friend tells PEOPLE, “So much has been said that at this stage, I think they just want to move on. The whole situation is very sad, but it’s business as usual, and she’s getting on with the job because that’s what she does.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton.Ben Birchall-WPA Pool/Getty Images
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Royal correspondent Valentine Low, author ofCourtiers, says there is a practical reason the royals are not commenting on Harry’s book.
“They didn’t want to fan the flames of the rift and the dispute,” says Low. “They know that anything said in a statement or a briefing would prolong it. They wanted it to calm down as soon as possible. The longer it goes on, the less hope there is for reconciliation.”
source: people.com
