Prince William has appeared to push back against claims made by his brother Prince Harry and sister-in-law Meghan Markle that he “doesn’t hug people”, after warmly embracing a high-profile guest in a newly released video.
On Thursday, the 43-year-old Prince of Wales featured alongside former Lioness Jill Scott in a video promoting the work of charity Fields in Trust, released to mark the organisation’s 100-year anniversary.
In the clip, shared to the Wales’ official social media accounts, William greets Scott with a broad smile before pulling her into a warm hug.
“Morning Jill, nice to see you!” he said, before adding: “It’s nice to be outside.”
Royal watchers were quick to point out the moment appeared to fly in the face of claims made by the Sussexes that the future King is uncomfortable with physical affection-Â an assertion first raised by Meghan in the couple’s 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan.
In the series, the 44-year-old Duchess of Sussex recalled meeting Prince William and Princess Catherine for the first time and said her instinctive hugging was received as “jarring”.
“Even when Will and Kate came over and I was meeting her for the first time I remember I was in ripped jeans, I was barefoot,” she said.
“Like I was a hugger, I have always been a hugger. I didn’t realise that is really jarring for a lot of Brits. I started to understand that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside”.
Prince Harry, 41, later echoed the claim in his 2023 memoir Spare, describing his brother’s reaction when first meeting Meghan.
The Duke of Sussex wrote in the book about the introduction, saying: “I introduced Meg, who leaned in and gave him a hug, which completely freaked him out. He recoiled.”
“Willy didn’t hug many strangers. Whereas Meg hugged most strangers.”
While William has never publicly responded to rumours he “recoils” at hugs, he has frequently been photographed embracing members of the public, royals and prominent figures alike.Â
In 2022, he was seen hugging an emotional pensioner during a visit to Scotland, and earlier this year accepted an impromptu hug from a woman during a walkabout in South London.
In May, he embraced a teacher honoured for her work in the deaf community, while last month he was photographed laughing and hugging Welsh woman Angela Jones during a visit to North Wales, as well as greeting a young soccer player in Brazil with an affectionate embrace.
The latest video quickly reignited debate online, with fans flooding the comments section.
“Huh. I thought royals didn’t hug,” one person wrote.
“Great to see the Prince of Wales’ leadership style. Steady support and he gives hugs!” another added.
Others took a sharper tone, with one fan writing online: “Prince William is often seen in photos hugging members of the public. He sussed out Meghan Markle’s motives as soon as he’d met her so kept her at arm’s length.”
Beyond the viral hug, the video showed William and Scott walking through a park, chatting about the former Lioness midfielder’s childhood and the importance of communities having access to green spaces.
The pair waved to children attending a local “forest school” before briefly joining a kids’ soccer game.
William, who has long been involved with Fields in Trust, the only charity that legally protects the UK’s parks, playgrounds and green spaces, said he was proud the organisation has already safeguarded 3000 spaces.
“I think we can double, triple that number,” he said.
The Prince took over as Fields in Trust president from his late grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, in 2013, before handing the role to Ms Scott on July 1.
He continues to serve as the charity’s patron, a position he assumed in 2024 after succeeding Her Majesty the late Queen Elizabeth II, who held the role for an incredible 70 years.