Don’t Expect Prince William to Do This on Valentine’s Day

(Image credit: Getty)

published 12 February 2023

Clearly, the Prince and Princess of Wales are in love, over 20 years after they first started dating and nearly 12 years into marriage. But, as Valentine’s Day looms, apparently flowers aren’t in the couple’s repertoire for February 14.

According to The Independent, “the Princess of Wales has joked that her husband, the Prince of Wales, will not be adhering to a certain Valentine’s Day tradition this year.” Kate was on a tour of Kirkgate Market in Leeds as she launched her early years campaign when she said she didn’t think William would be buying her any flowers for the holiday. While meeting stall holders at the market, the outlet reports, Kate stopped at a florist’s business and admired his display of flowers.

The seller, Neil Ashcroft, asked Kate “William will be buying you some roses?” and even offered her a discount. After presenting her with a bouquet of hyacinths—which Ashcroft claimed were Kate’s favorite flowers—“I suggested William will be buying her roses and she said, ‘I don’t think he will do.’”

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Okay, so maybe Kate won’t be receiving a dozen roses on Tuesday, but the Wales’ marriage seems to be perfectly romantic, thank you very much: Marie Claire reported recently that not only are William and Kate super compatible astrologically, but that William is a gentleman to his wife. A recently resurfaced clip of the couple from March 2022 has made it to TikTok, where viewers are swooning over a moment between the two at the Commonwealth Day service: Kate is offered an umbrella by an aide to ward off the day’s drizzle, which she politely turns down, likely because her hands are full. But that’s when William swoops in and asks the aide for the umbrella and proceeds to hold it over Kate’s head so that she can stay dry while also not having to finagle with the umbrella. It really is the little things that become the big things.

Back to Leeds in the present day—after telling the florist she wouldn’t be receiving roses this year, Kate awkwardly got attention of another kind: The Independent reports that “the princess also received some unwanted attention in the form of a wolf whistle as she went on a walkabout in the market. She did not react, and it was unclear if she heard the noise.”

Less wolf whistles, more umbrella chivalry, please.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.