Kate Middleton playfully pats Prince William’s butt at King Charles’ Scotland coronation

Kate, the Princess of Wales, playfully patted her husband Prince William’s butt while attending King Charles III’s coronation celebration in Scotland.

The Prince and Princess of Wales made an appearance at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Wednesday for the ceremony of thanksgiving and dedication. The event was in honour of Queen Camilla and King Charles, who was given the Crown of Scotland.

While attending the church service, William and Kate shared a brief display of physical affection when she leaned over and whispered into her husband’s ear before giving him a slight tap on his backside.

The subtle hand gesture mimicked another recent exchange between William and Kate, when they attended the 76th British Academy Film Awards in February. As she walked the red carpet at the event, Kate gave her partner a gentle tap on the behind, prompting fans to react with joy to the rare display of affection.

During the ceremony on Wednesday, Charles received the nation’s crown jewels, a sceptre and a sword made of gold, silver and gems – known collectively as the Honours of Scotland.

The ceremony featured The Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone, which was used for the coronation of Scotland’s Kings for hundreds of years before being seized by Edward I of England in 1296.

While Charles and Camila had a much larger coronation in London in May, Scotland’s separate coronation is a nod to the historical fact that England and Scotland had different monarchs until the crowns were united in 1603.

For Wednesday’s occasion, Kate opted for a royal blue coat dress, paired with a matching hat. She completed her look with a pearl necklace, bracelet, and earrings.

Meanwhile, her husband wore his green velvet ceremonial robe, as he’s part of the Order of the Thistle, the “greatest order of chivalry in Scotland”, according to the royal family’s official website. Under the robe, he wore a light blue button down shirt, pants, and navy tie.