The Princess of Wales demonstrated the strong bond she shares with the King, her father-in-law, as she gracefully curtsied and gave him a peck on the cheek during the Duchess of Kent’s funeral on Tuesday.

At the heartfelt memorial at Westminster Cathedral yesterday, Charles, aged 76, warmly embraced Kate, who is 43, highlighting their close connection.

With her husband William, 43, nearby, they appeared to exchange some brief words while paying their respects for the late royal.

The King treasures his ‘beloved daughter-in-law,’ and their relationship was further strengthened when they both faced cancer diagnoses in February and March 2024. These shared health challenges solidified their special bond.

Since then, there have been numerous occasions during which their fondness for each other was spotted by royal watchers.

Last summer, Kate attended Trooping the Colour, joining the Royal Family for the King’s Birthday Parade in London.

In a departure from the year before, when King Charles stood next to his heir Prince William, this time around, he stood next to his daughter-in-law.

Body language specialist Judi James remarked to the Daily Mail that this interaction was notable. She observed: ‘Charles focused on Kate to convey how dearly she is valued and to express his appreciation for her presence.’

Furthermore, it has long been believed that the King and his daughter-in-law share a closeness due to their mutual appreciation for the arts, among other shared interests.

‘Charles has always had an increasingly special relationship with Kate, who he has grown to trust and delight in,’ Judi continued.

‘Here though, that relationship was highlighted to illustrate how those bonds have only deepened and enriched by their bonds of empathy created by their illnesses.’

While the pair were both receiving treatment for cancer in 2024, a royal expert claimed that Charles had ‘always had a great respect for Kate’ and would ‘compare notes’ with her on their hospital’s food during their ‘affectionate’ meetings about their respective cancer treatments.

The pair both received treatment at the London Clinic in Harley Street last year.

Appearing in the Channel 5 documentary Kate: A Queen for the Future, the Daily Mail’s editor-at-large Richard Kay discussed Charles and Kate’s meetings during their time as patients in the hospital.

‘The King actually made a point of going to see Kate and there’s this rather touching story of [Charles] in his dressing gown padding down to his daughter-in-law’s floor,’ he shared.

‘They compared notes about the rather good hospital food, how their treatment was going. It was a moment of great affection.’ 

Elsewhere in the documentary, The Telegraph’s royal correspondent India McTaggart said King Charles has always valued the Princess of Wales. 

She explained: ‘Charles always had a lot of respect for Catherine and he said that in the wedding toast that he made. He said they were very lucky to have her and it remains true to this day.’

Later in the documentary, royal expert Robert Jobson said that Kate Middleton plays a crucial role in King Charles’ relationship with three grandchildren.

The expert said: ‘Catherine is very important in the relationship between Charlotte, George and Louis and the King.

‘When William and the King aren’t necessarily on the best of terms, as sometimes fathers and sons are, it’s always Catherine who makes sure that the King, if he wants to see his grandchildren, sees his grandchildren.’

The King reportedly thinks Kate is doing a ‘wonderful’ job bringing up George, Charlotte and Louis, and gets to spend more time with his son’s family now they live just a few minutes drive away from Windsor Castle. 

William’s wife is also believed to have reportedly helped smooth the sometimes fractious relationship between the King and his son.

King Charles and Kate have also shown several public signs of their close relationship over the past few years. 

For instance, the Princess of Wales lovingly called her father-in-law by his family nickname of ‘grandpa’ when she greeted him at a G7 reception in 2021.

Meanwhile, in April 2021, the then Duchess of Cambridge shared a kiss on the cheek with her grief-stricken father-in-law as they left Prince Philip’s funeral.

Kate consoled Charles as the pair walked out of St George’s Chapel following the emotional service in memory of the Duke of Edinburgh.

Photographs show Kate comforting the then Prince of Wales over the loss of his father by putting her hand on his shoulder. 

She then kissed him on the cheek as they set off from the entrance of the chapel.

Elsewhere, when greeting one another at engagements, like during Tuesday’s funeral at Westminster Abbey, the King and his daughter-in-law will often share a friendly embrace and pecks on the cheeks.

Charles has even described his son’s wife as the daughter he had never had while giving a speech during William’s wedding to his now-wife. The now-King said said of the heir’s new spouse: ‘We are lucky to have her.’