Queen Letizia and Charles of Spain made a rare joint appearance to visit the Spanish Gallery at Auckland Castle in England on Tuesday
Queen Elizabeth's eldest son Prince Charles triggered a warm welcome to Queen Letizia of Spain, greeting her with a kiss on her cheek and arm.
Spain's Queen Letizia and Prince Charles made a rare joint appearance on Tuesday to visit the Spanish Gallery at Auckland Castle in England. The two royals attended an art exhibition, and upon arrival, Charles greeted the Spanish queen by kissing her on the cheek, before taking her hand and kissing her as well.
The Prince of Wales showed deep love and respect for Letizia with this very touching and affectionate display.
Judy James, a body language expert, shares her thoughts on their conversation. She told Express UK: "It's an incredibly intimate and meaningful looking greeting ritual from Charles to Queen Letizia.
The "courtly hand kiss" is a sporadic signature gesture for Charles, who famously used it on his mother during his inauguration as Prince of Wales.
"It is an ancient form of greeting that is considered completely out of date in the modern world.
"Kissing with the hand can be seen as charming or gentleness, but as a gesture, it makes the woman feel awkward and awkward in these more liberated times."
She continued: "Charles is clearly showing a sign of deep love and respect for Letizia with this very touching and affectionate display.
"This is a man who rarely does any PDA with his wife other than a strange smile. But he is here looking eager to show his hidden depths, kissing not only her hand but her lips. Lifting up and bowing his head too.
"Letizia's puckered lips suggest she may be an air-kissed greeting fan, but Charles is determined to charm here, albeit in a 'before his sale date' ritual."
Royal fans commented on the congratulation on social media. John Smith tweeted: "Not sure if she was expecting it." Anita Wilkinson said: "She doesn't look very happy."
Jesse Quinn posted several photos of Prince Charles kissing Queen Elizabeth's hand and noted: "[Prince Charles] always welcomes the Queen this way. Traditional manners and a sense of extreme humility."