Why Prince William and Kate Middleton never hold hands but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle do

The INSIDER Summary:

• People have questioned why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were seen holding hands on their first public outing, but Prince William and Kate Middleton rarely do. 
• It's because of a royal precedent by the queen, and because of their titles. 
• But it's also probably because they've been together for a long time and have less to "prove." 

The world swooned when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle finally appeared as a couple at the Invictus Games in Toronto. They were shown holding hands, whispering, and just looking adorable. 

Many were quick to point out that we don't often see this kind of behavior from Harry's brother and sister-in-law, Prince William and Kate Middleton. Aside from the occasional whisper and him escorting her into buildings, there isn't much PDA between the two of them. 

But it turns out, like everything the royals do, there's a lot of logic that goes into their actions. Here are a few reasons why William and Kate don't — or won't — show any PDA. 

The queen sets the precedent. 

There's no written rule that says that William and Kate can't kiss or hold hands in public, but as we know, the royal family is taught to follow the queen's lead. 

"The queen rarely holds hands with her husband in public, and this seems to have set an unwritten precedent for the other royals," body language expert, Robin Kermode told the Daily Mail.

She's set the standard that PDA is generally distasteful and, as a married couple, William and Kate have chosen to follow suit. 

Prince William is more likely to be the monarch. 

Harry has always been a little more rebellious, and that's mostly because he's not very likely to be king. He's sixth in line, whereas Prince William is second in line for the throne behind their father, Prince Charles. William's children, both current and future, are next in line, making Prince Harry sixth in line. 

Because of this, the rules are bent a little more for Harry. Though he's still a member of the royal family and can't go completely rogue, he has a little more breathing room since he'll probably never be the monarch. 

William and Kate have official capacities. 

As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate are often working when they are seen in public. When attending royal events, they are on the clock, and you wouldn't exactly pinch your partner's butt at work. 

Meghan doesn't have any official role yet, so when we see her and Harry out together, it's mostly for fun. That means they can be a little more relaxed. 

It was Meghan and Harry's first outing. 

Don't you remember the beginning of your relationship, when you couldn't keep your paws off each other? Although Meghan and Harry have been dating for about a year, this was their first public outing as a couple, so naturally they were a little excited. 

As Harpers Bazaar pointed out, William and Kate showed affection while at university together, but now that they've been together for some time, they can keep their hands to themselves a little more. 

Will and Kate have nothing to prove. 

In the same vein, Kermode told the Daily Mail that Kate and Will are so madly in love that they have no need for PDA. 

"Some public figures use hand-holding as a deliberate act to prove that their relationship is solid, but this isn't something Prince William and Kate struggle with," he said.

Not that Meghan and Harry have anything to "prove," but the couple hasn't been established as long, so they were probably eager to make their love known. 

There's nothing saying that Meghan and Harry will have to refrain from holding hands, should a royal wedding be imminent, though so let's hope we keep getting adorable snaps from the pair.