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Prince William’s Latest Gesture Proves He’s Taking Cues from Kate Middleton

He's in full on dad-mode

PrinceWilliam
RICHARD POHLE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

It’s perfectly natural to pick up habits from the people you spend the most time with and Prince William is clearly learning from the best—namely his wife, Kate Middleton.

During an outing on Tuesday, March 11, the Prince of Wales stopped by Sporting Khalsa FC in Willenhall, West Midlands, to check out a special referee training course. As a patron of the Football Association, William was there to support its initiative to recruit 1,000 referees from Black, Asian and mixed-heritage backgrounds.

While the visit had a meaningful purpose, it was Prince William’s interactions with the crowd that stood out the most. According to The Mirror, the royal was greeted by “hundreds of schoolchildren,” and in classic Kate fashion, he instinctively crouched down to their level while chatting with them.

Prince William with Kids
Chris Jackson/Getty Images

In one particularly sweet moment, William was photographed (above) leaning down to meet a child’s eye after giving them a hug. It’s a move Princess Catherine has used time and time again and it’s easy to see why—getting down to a child’s level helps foster connection and makes interactions feel more personal.

PrinceWilliamSchoolKids
Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Of course, William has plenty of experience with kids, thanks to his three little ones—Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. He even joked with the crowd that he had “broken the record for the most high fives in 10 minutes” after the school-aged children has surrounded him.

And he’s not the only one borrowing this trick. Other royals, from Prince Harry to Meghan Markle to Duchess Sophie, have used it too.

Safe to say, it’s a go-to move for making a great first impression.

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