Prince William and Princess Kate Both Love This Controversial Wellbeing Practice
“I like feeling the earth.”
The Princess of Wales revealed that she feels a "very spiritual and very intense emotional reconnection" with nature, and believes strongly in its “healing power,” and now we know a little bit more about how she—and Prince William—connect with Mother Earth.
In July 2025, Princess Kate visited Colchester Hospital in Essex to plant Catherine’s Rose. During a ceremonial planting, the Princess of Wales declined gloves and got her hands dirty—literally—for the task. “Am I allowed to not wear gloves? I’d rather not wear them,” she asked, before explaining “I like feeling the earth.”
Princess Kate declined gloves, saying she wanted to "feel the earth."
Princess Kate gets her hands dirty.
Prince William echoed the sentiment on his recent trip to Saudi Arabia. The Prince of Wales planted a tree at Sharaan Nature Reserve in the Saudi desert, where he declared “I won’t wear gloves,” despite being offered a pair. “I want to have my hands in the soil.”
Both of these very purposeful statements of desire to get into the soil and connect with the earth suggest that Prince William and Princess Kate are fans of “earthing,” or “grounding,” a wellbeing practice focused on simply—and literally—touching grass. “Generations ago, people tended to spend more time outside,” explained Dr. Gemma Newman in her book, Get Well Stay Well. “There were also fewer physical barriers between the human body and the earth’s natural surfaces.”
Prince William wanted to feel the soil in his hands.
Prince William getting dirty.
The practice of walking barefoot, touching or digging with our hands, and other tactile ways to connect with the earth have benefits that are showing up in research. “Research is still scant but the data shows correlations between practising grounding and the relief of various ailments,” Dr Newman revealed in her book. “I see these findings as hopeful that grounding could be a simple and free treatment to help reduce pain and improve sleep, although these are very small studies so we need to know more.”
The practice remains controversial, as many doubt the benefits of the practice or the accuracy of the research. Despite this, many experts encourage grounding, even if it is a placebo effect. Dr Newman recommends “some gardening, without gloves or barefoot, so you can feel the soil,” like the Prince and Princess of Wales, as an easy way to connect with nature and potentially benefit your health long-term.
