William and Kate, Britain's Prince and Princess of Wales, have become the subject of a new viral video as fans on TikTok uploaded comparative clips looking at their stateside visits to watch basketball games.
The royals have found themselves the focus of increasing social media posts and videos over the past 12 months, since taking on increased roles within the monarchy following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Since their marriage in 2011, William and Kate have paid three official visits to the U.S. and on two of them, they have factored in a visit to a basketball game into their schedule.
Uploaded to TikTok by user, royalfamilyslife, on July 20, the recent video to reach viral numbers shows the royal couple in New York watching a Brooklyn Nets game in 2014, and in Boston watching a Celtics game in 2022. The clip has been viewed in excess of 320,000 times so far on the platform and received over 15,000 likes.
The focus of the clips are moments where the royal couple were shown on the jumbotron screens during the games and they were met with a mixture cheers and boos from the local sports fans.
William and Kate's 2014 courtside appearance saw them watch the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center in New York. During the game they were seen talking through the event with other spectators, with Kate being photographed meeting another high-profile attendee, Beyoncé.
For their 2022 visit, to watch the Boston Celtics take on the Miami Heat at the TD Garden Arena in Boston, the couple received a more mixed reaction. The visit came a year after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's dramatic interview with Oprah Winfrey which brought a wave of backlash on the royal family, including William and Kate.
Perhaps with the public more divided on the couple, they were met with a mixture of boos and cheers when they were announced at the game. Afterwards, star Celtics player Jaylen Brown revealed his indifference over their attendance.
Asked by an interviewer: "I know you guys have played in front of a lot of celebrities but what was it like to be in front of royalty tonight? The Prince and Princess of Wales were in the building."
Brown coolly responded "It was just a regular game to me," without any elaboration.
Despite this response, the couple were still met with a wave of support online and were seen enjoying the game with fans picking up on the royal public displays of affection between the prince and princess throughout.
A number of TikTok users have voiced praise for William and Kate on the new viral video, with one posting the assessment of a "powerful and gorgeous couple."
The Wales' are not the only royals to have been seen attending a basketball in the States recently. In April 2023, Prince Harry and Meghan were photographed at an L.A. Lakers playoff game against the Memphis Grizzlies in California with members of their Archewell organization.
The couple's appearance was picked up by cameras broadcasting the event, and the images were quickly shared by fans on social media.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
