1 Element of Kate Middleton’s Body Language Dubbed ‘Pitch-Perfect’ by Expert
Kate Middleton already knows how to carry herself like a queen. But one part of her body language, her smile, is especially spot-on, according to an expert. How the Princess of Wales’s “pitch-perfect” gesture sets her apart, ahead.
A body language expert says Kate Middleton’s smile is the ‘best’
And the award for “best royal smile” goes to … Kate. Body language expert Judi James told the U.K.’s Express the mother of three “probably has the best royal smile in the business.”
Sure, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, and many other royals can — and certainly do — flash megawatt smiles during public appearances. Kate’s, however, is special, according to James.
Calling it “pitch-perfect,” the expert noted how Kate’s smile “stays in place for long periods of time without wilting. Plus, she “will often intensify the smile signals to look amused, upbeat, and happy.”
Kate Middleton’s smile became a more ‘natural’ version of the ‘royal smile’ after Princess of Wales title announcement
In September 2022, following Queen Elizabeth II’s death, Kate and Prince William were named the Prince and Princess of Wales. William took over the title from his father, King Charles III. Meanwhile, Kate became the first Princess of Wales since Princess Diana.
Although Kate has what James described as a “pitch-perfect” smile during public appearances, she — and William — changed smiles ever so slightly after the queen died.
Kate and William abandoned “royal smiles,” or “fixed-looking long-term smiles,” for more authentic facial expressions during their first visit to Wales as the new Prince and Princess of Wales on Sept. 27, 2022.
Instead, they sported what James told MailOnline at the time were “flooding smiles.” Not only did they “look natural,” William and Kate’s smiles created a “tie-sign connection of rapport with the crowds.”
The pair also varied their “smiles,” adding to the “open and relaxed” where William and Kate looked like they were “greeting old friends.”
Kate Middleton’s smile is part of her overall more confident body language
Getting a new title appears to have given Kate a boost of confidence. Following in the footsteps of her late mother-in-law may have given Kate pause but she hasn’t shown it in her demeanor. Rather, her body language has looked more confident in the wake of her title change. (Prior to the queen’s death, Kate and William were formally known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge).
Examining Kate’s gestures during a November 2022 appearance in Scarborough, England, body language expert Darren Stanton noticed the 41-year-old looking “more comfortable and relaxed than ever before.”
“She no longer uses pacifying gestures, which are self-reassurance gestures she often used during her early years as a royal, such as touching her earlobe and rubbing her neck. We rarely see those gestures in Kate’s behavior now compared to 10 years ago,” indicating she’s “clearly developed confidence in who she is and what she is there to do.”
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