Royal fans have been sent into a frenzy today as Prince William and Princess Kate shared a photograph online to mark Valentine’s Day for the very first time.

The couple shared a picture today that was taken last summer of the two of them sitting side by side, holding hands in some woodlands, with the Prince of Wales, 42, planting a kiss on Princess Kate’s face.

The photograph was captioned with no words but instead a simple red heart emoji.

The decision to post the loved-up snap on their official social media channel is a royal first. William and Kate have never publicly marked Valentine’s Day before.

Since the post was uploaded on Friday morning, royal fans have rushed to praise the couple and their love, with many dubbing the future King and Queen their “favourite couple”.

One royal fan wrote on X: “Such a beautiful picture! One of my all time favorites of you two. Happy Valentine's Day! I absolutely love your love for each other.”

A second said: “Happy Valentine's to possibly the world's best loved couple and their family.”

Another commented: “My favourite couple.”

A fourth said: “These two make my heart melt.”

Prince William and Princess Kate have spent many Valentine’s Days together, having first started dating in 2003 after meeting at St Andrews University.

Despite a few months apart in 2007 during a brief break-up, the couple then got engaged in 2010 when William popped the question on a holiday in Kenya. The Prince and Princess of Wales then married in 2011, celebrating their 13th wedding anniversary last year.

Since their wedding, the couple have gone from strength to strength and have had three children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six.

For Princess Kate’s birthday last month, William posted an emotional message on social media showing how his love for Kate is stronger than ever, especially after her battle with cancer last year.

The prince wrote on social media for Kate’s birthday: “To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable. George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you.”