Prince William's Relatable Secret Hand Signal Hurries Princess Kate Along

Prince William was spotted making a secret hand gesture to quietly hurry his wife along on Wednesday, December 3—and fans were loving their relatable moment. While the Prince and Princess of Wales viewed artifacts from the Royal Collection during the German State Visit, Princess Kate was enthusiastically discussing a piece of art. Prince William gently patted her back as a signal to quickly finish her comments, and the two promptly said goodbye.

Prince William’s gentle pat on the back to send his wife a secret message is a trick he may have picked up from his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. The late Queen was known to move her handbag to different positions to silently signal her desire to move along in a crowded room. These subtle gestures allow the royals to silently communicate without ever making their guests feel uncomfortable.

Royal fans weighed in on the sweet moment, like one who wrote, "I love the adorable look she gives Prince William when she understands him wanting to move on. I adore these two." Another commented, "I love how she gets caught up in conversations with people."

The Princess of Wales has a habit of lingering too long to speak with people at royal events. After Christmas Day service in Sandringham last year, Princess Kate was heard saying ““I seem to have lost my family!”

Prince William and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, had finished greeting well-wishers and were left waiting several minutes for the Princess to catch up.

Princess Kate previously spoke about the amount time she spends chatting at official engagements during a 2016 documentary. “Everybody teases me in the family that I spend far too long chatting,” the princess said. “I still have to learn a little bit more, and to pick up a few more tips, I suppose.”