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Prince Harry Says the Rumored Royal PDA Rule Is Actually True: ‘Zero-Tolerance Prohibition’

The rumors are true

prince harry pda rule
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There are countless rules that the royal family is required to follow. But based on recent outings, we can’t help but wonder if the “no PDA” guideline is legitimate. Luckily, Prince Harry is setting the record straight in his memoir, Spare

In an excerpt shared by Buzzfeed News, the Duke of Sussex, 39, confirmed that the British royal family is *not* supposed to show physical affection. “The older generation maintained a nearly zero-tolerance prohibition on all physical contact,” Prince Harry wrote. “No hugs, no kisses, no pats. Now and then, maybe a light touching of cheeks… on special occasions.”

prince harry pda rule memoir
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Of course, there have been some exceptions to the rule. For example, Prince Harry noted that his brother, Prince William, and his father, King Charles, broke the no PDA directive after the Duke of Sussex returned from his first overseas tour with the military. 

“I think Willy hugged me,” he explained. “I think I gave Pa a kiss on each cheek. He might also have… squeezed my shoulder?”

Prince Harry continued, “It would’ve appeared, to anyone at a distance, a normal family greeting and interaction, but for us it was a flamboyant, unprecedented demonstration of physical affection.”

prince harry pda rule memoir spare
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Prince Harry explained that the “zero tolerance” aspect was mainly carried out by the older generation. This rule has obviously been broken in recent years on several occasions by younger royals—including Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The more you know. 

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greta

Senior Editor

Greta Heggeness is a California-based editor at PureWow and has been writing about entertainment since 2015. She covers everything from awards shows to exclusive celebrity...