Kate Middleton and Prince William Are More Confident Than Ever, Says Body Language Expert
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s body language has changed to reveal increasing confidence. Here are the subtle clues that the Prince and Princess of Wales feel more self-assured in their roles within the royal family.
Kate Middleton ‘desperately wanted to impress’ the royal family at the beginning of her relationship with Prince William
Early in her relationship with Prince William, Kate Middleton was reportedly “desperate” to impress the royal family.
And as recently as 2019, Kate sought Queen Elizabeth’s approval when she designed a garden for the Chelsea Flower Show. The queen came to visit the event and, according to the Mirror, “before Her Majesty arrived, a seemingly nervous Kate was eager to impress and scurried around the garden tidying up.”
The publication reported that Kate “was even spotted stuffing loose twigs and leaves into her designer handbag – all to make sure everything was looking perfect.” The garden featured Princess Diana’s favorite flowers, forget-me-nots.
The story echoes what a royal insider told Vanity Fair Italy. “In the early days as a Royal Family member, even just standing next to the Queen made her nervous,” said the insider (per Express). “That was mostly because Kate desperately wanted to impress Her Majesty.”
The source added, “She really suffered a lot under the exposure in the spotlight.”
But Kate’s recent body language is telling a different story.
Kate Middleton’s body language shows signs of increased confidence
Body language expert and former Derbyshire police officer Darren Stanton analyzed Prince William and Kate Middleton’s behavior during their September visit to Swansea. Speaking on behalf of Betfair Bingo, the body language expert noted that the Princess of Wales displayed her growing confidence.
“In the decade that Kate has been attending official events with William she did not always exude the levels of confidence that she does now,” said the expert. “She has very much grown and developed into her own person and a significant member of the royal family.”
Stanton shared some of Kate’s previous gestures that showed she was not as confident as she is now. “When we look at her clothing from 2011, her outfits were not as coordinated and her body language was definitely not as self-assured. She used to make lots more nervous gestures, like biting her lip or crossing her arms to the front,” he said. “A person would often make this gesture in order to take up as little space as possible, which is psychologically saying I want to make myself as invisible as possible.”
Prince William’s body language also conveys more self-confidence
Kate Middleton isn’t the only one showing a boost in confidence – Prince William’s body language shows he has become more self-assured, too.
The Prince of Wales previously exhibited some nervous behaviors that he likely adopted from his father, King Charles. “William has also developed greatly in his levels of confidence and gravitas, especially in the last few years,” Stanton said. “He previously adopted similar gestures to that of his father King Charles, and would often come across as anxious or nervous.”
Stanton observed that, like his father, William was prone to fiddling with his cufflinks or placing his hand inside his jacket, showing a lack of confidence in the situation.
“Nowadays, we do not see nearly as many self-reassurance gestures that William used to make,” the expert said. “This proves he has grown in confidence and is secure within his position as Prince of Wales and future King.”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
