Prince Charles stuns Queen Letizia of Spain with a kiss on her hand and cheek: Fans, experts react to his gesture

Prince Charles apparently amazed Queen Letizia of Spain with a warm gesture as he greeted her with a kiss on her cheek and hand.

The Queen Elizabeth's eldest son, the heir apparent to the British throne, seemingly signalled deep fondness and respect for Letizia with this very tactile and affectionate display.

Queen Letizia of Spain and Prince Charles made a rare joint appearance on Tuesday to visit the Spanish Gallery at England’s Auckland Castle. 

The two royals graced an art exhibition, and upon arrival, the Prince of Wales greeted the Spanish Queen by kissing her on the cheek, before taking her hand and kissing that too. 

A body language expert Judi James shared her thoughts on their interaction. She told Express UK: “This is 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 own mother too, during his inauguration as Prince of Wales.

“It’s an antique form of greeting that is seen as totally out of date in the modern world.

“Hand-kissing might be seen as charming or gentlemanly but as a gesture, it will leave the woman feeling and looking awkward in these more liberated times.”

She added: “Charles is clearly signalling deep fondness and respect for Letizia with this very tactile and affectionate display.

“This is a man who so rarely performs any PDAs at all with his wife apart from the odd smiling glance. But he looks keen to show his hidden depths here, not just kissing her hand but raising it right up to his lips and bowing his head as well.

“Letizia’s puckering lips suggest she might be more of an air-kiss greeting fan but Charles looks determined to charm here, albeit in a rather ‘past its sell-by date’ ritual.”

Royal fans commented on the greeting on social media. John Smith tweeted: “Not sure she was expecting that.” Anita Wilkinson said: “She doesn't look too pleased.”

Jessie Quinn posted several photographs of Prince Charles kissing Queen Elizabeth’s hand and noted: “[Prince Charles] Always greets the Queen like this. Traditionally a gesture of courtesy and extreme politeness.”

Queen Letizia was among the royals from around Europe who traveled to London last week to attend the Service of Thanksgiving honoring Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey.