Prince William and Kate Middleton are slowly doing their share in modernizing the British monarchy.

Earlier this month, the royal couple made headlines after they were photographed at Prince William’s polo match. At the time, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge engaged in a rare PDA moment.

Prince William wrapped his arm around Middleton’s waist. And the couple also shared a kiss on the cheek.

An unnamed source told Woman’s Day that these are all subtle signs that Prince William and Middleton are ready to part ways with formal royal rules.

“Kate and Wills are determined to rip up the royal rulebook and want to be more approachable, less formal, and less stuffy. They’re determined to develop the ‘Cambridge way.’ It’s not a criticism of the past but an acknowledgment that they need to move with the times. They’re determined to create a healthy balance of openness while maintaining the sense of mystery that surrounds the royal family,” the source said (via Cheat Sheet). 

Following their outing, body language expert Judi James compared Prince William and Middleton’s rare PDA with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The Sussexes are known for engaging in public displays of affection. And they have not also shied away from kissing each other on the lips or holding each other’s hand everywhere they go.

“Harry and Meghan’s very intimate polo kiss might appear to be the most passionate royal PDA in many years. Harry’s chest was puffed and Meghan’s torso was pressed into his side as the couple performed a lingering kiss on the mouth. Meghan’s head was thrown back and her neck was bared in a signal of romantic submission to her polo-playing husband,” James told Express.

Other than the respective couples’ kisses, James also analyzed Markle and Prince William’s back-holding gestures with their spouses. Eagle-eyed royal fans slammed the Duchess of Sussex for always holding Prince Harry back when they’re out in public.

But when Prince William did the exact same gesture, he was praised for it. In fact, royal fans also called him sweet and protective of Middleton.

According to James, the comparisons are not surprising and so are the criticisms. After all, royal fans expect Prince Harry to be the one who’s protecting Markle and not the other way around. If this is the case then Prince Harry would be the one holding Markle’s back when they’re in public.