Princess Kate caught playfully patting Prince William's bum on the BAFTAs Red Carpet

The Prince and Princess of Wales had always been very conscious of the late Queen's wishes that royal family members avoid public displays of affection.

But this week, Princess Kate surprised royal fans as she attended the 76th annual EE British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall yesterday.

Walking the red carpet for the first time in three years, the royal mum-of-three was caught on camera playfully giving her husband's bum a little pat.

The blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment was captured by Vogue, which later shared the footage to Instagram along with a caption that even the royals "like to cop a feel."

The pair were all smiles, walking side-by-side as they chatted and waved to onlookers before making their way into the awards show.

As President of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, William has been attending the event since 2010, with Kate first joining him at the star-studded bash in 2017.

This is the fifth time the couple have attended the yearly event.

We are loving the wholesome moment of PDA between the couple, who have been married for 12 years.