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TL;DR: 

  • Kate Middleton visited Colham Manor Children’s Centre on Nov. 9. 
  • She looked “so natural” talking to a 3-year-old boy, according to a body language expert.
  • Kate Middleton didn’t seem to be “forcing the conversation” or “playing for the camera.” 
Kate Middleton, who appeared 'so natural and un-regal' to body language expert Judi James as she chatted with Akeem, 3, outside Colham Manor Children's Centre on Nov. 9, 2022
Kate Middleton | Daniel Leal/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Talking with royalty. Kate Middleton looked “un-regal” and “so natural” as she chatted with a 3-year-old boy during a maternal health outing. Ahead, a body language expert’s explanation of how the Princess of Wales subtly encouraged the boy to be “very confident and relaxed.” 

Kate Middleton had a solo maternal health outing on Nov. 9

Just days after the announcement of her 2022 Christmas carol concert, the Princess of Wales stepped out for a solo outing. On Nov. 9 she visited Colham Manor Children’s Centre in Hillingdon, England, in her capacity as patron of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance.

Kate spoke with a mother-and-baby group and sat in on a roundtable discussion alongside psychiatry professionals, midwives, and social workers. And, of course, she chatted with a 3-year-old boy. 

‘Natural’ Kate Middleton gave a boy her poppy pin during an ‘un-regal’ moment

No stranger to talking with children during public appearances, Kate took a few moments to chat with a boy named Akeem. 

“My name is Catherine, very nice to meet you,” she replied when Akeem asked her name in a video posted to Twitter. 

Body language expert Judi James examined the conversation, telling the U.K.’s Express why Kate looked at ease. 

“Kate makes this moment look so natural and un-regal,” she said. In her opinion, the mother of three didn’t seem to be “forcing the conversation with the small boy.” Neither did she seem to be “using any body language or vocal techniques that might suggest she’s just playing for the camera.”

“The result shows in the very confident and relaxed body language of the little boy,” James said. “He happily places his hand on top of Kate’s and points at her poppy with no sign of self-consciousness.” 

Akeem touching Kate’s poppy pin on her coat prompted a question: “Do you know what this is for?” the Princess of Wales asked. “It’s for remembering all the soldiers who died in the war.”

“Kate bends right down to his height, keeping their heads close and using eye contact,” the expert explained. However, she left it up to Akeem “to instigate the rest of the body language rituals to ensure he feels totally at ease and very much the centre of her attention.”

Kate Middleton, who appeared 'so natural an un-regal' according to a body language expert, while talking with Akeem, 3, after visiting Colham Manor Children's Centre on Nov. 9, 2022.
Kate Middleton | Daniel Leal – WPA Pool/Getty Images
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Kate Middleton exhibited similar body language with a child in Wales

This was far from the first time Kate engaged with children on royal outings. Most recently, during a Sept. 27 visit to Wales with Prince William, she had a one-on-one conversation with Theo Crompton, 4. 

And, like the Nov. 9 appearance, Kate crouched down to be at eye level with the boy in an effort to “make him feel special and important,” James said at the time. 

Furthermore, Kate’s green coat in Hillingdon, similar to the red one she sported in Wales, brushed the ground. “Kate’s smart coat trailing on the ground,” James told Express following the September visit, “showed he had her total attention rather than any concerns about her clothing,

Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.

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