Prince William and Kate’s Eye Contact Caught on Camera

Prince William and Princess Kate locking eyes in a crowded room early in their relationship has gone viral online as one fan said: “Their innocence gets me every time.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales met at the University of St Andrews, where they graduated together in 2005.

William went on to to join the military and get his Royal Air Force wings at the Central Flying School at RAF Cranwell in April 2008, bringing Kate along with him for the proud moment.

Why It Matters

A clip of them locking eyes at the graduation ceremony went viral on X where it has been liked 6,300 times and viewed 593,000 times having been posted with the message: “Princess Catherine when she attended Prince William’s graduation! Their innocence gets me every time.”

What to Know

In the clip, William and Kate can be seen sitting on opposite sides of the room. William appears to look across toward his future wife, their eyes briefly meet before Kate looks away, seemingly in a shy moment.

At the time, William and Kate had not yet married meaning she was not yet doing royal engagements and her appearance at an official event to which the press was invited was a big deal.

It was, however, not the first military graduation she had been to and shortly after the previous one, at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, in December 2006, Kate and William had temporarily split up.

By the time William graduated as a pilot two years later, they were back together again, sparking hopes that whatever problems they had experienced were now over.

Robert Jobson, author of Catherine: A Biography, wrote: “The Prince of Wales [now King Charles III] awarded his son his wings as a Royal Air Force pilot at a ceremony held at RAF Cranwell, with the Duchess of Cornwall [now Queen Camilla] also in attendance.

“The press was more interested in the fact that Catherine was his guest at the ceremony, the first time she had appeared with the prince at a major official event since he had graduated from Sandhurst in December 2006, fueling more speculation that the couple were closer than ever.”

Of course, they did get past their earlier differences and went on to marry in a fairytale ceremony at Westminster Abbey, in London, in April 2011.

What People Are Saying

One fan said on X: “They had no idea of what a wonderful family they’d build together.”

Another commenter on X said: “What a sweet clip. Both so young and cute.”

What Happens Next

William and Kate celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary next year.

Do you have a question about Charles and Queen Camilla, William and Kate, Meghan Markle and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We’d love to hear from you.