Kate Middleton Seen on Camera Trying Not to Break Down and Keep It Together When Prince William Gives Up Something for Her
The Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton) has been in the news so much over the last several months. She underwent abdominal surgery in January and then in March, announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer and was receiving treatment. In September, Kate shared in an emotional video via social media that had completed her chemotherapy and was “cancer-free.”
The princess has made just a few public appearances as she continues to focus on her health. But while she’s been out of the limelight, several videos of her during previous engagements have gone viral. That includes one in which cameras captured the princess looking a way we’re not used to seeing her as she tried to maintain her composure just before Prince William hands over something special to his wife.
Video shows Kate getting very emotional while Prince William is speaking
Following Queen Elizabeth II’s death, Prince William became the new Prince of Wales and took over his father’s old colonelcy of the Welsh Guards. That left a vacancy for the Irish Guards, which King Charles entrusted Kate to fill.
Footage from that day shows the princess’s reaction as William was delivering the handover speech and honoring the regiment.
The 10-second video clip posted to TikTok that shows how emotional Kate was as William spoke is captioned: “Princess Catherine appeared slightly uneasy before giving her St. Patrick’s speech and took a deep breath to compose herself. During the speech, Prince William bestowed upon her the title of ‘Colonel Catherine’ as he handed over his responsibilities with the regiment to his wife. With this formal appointment, the Princess of Wales assumed the role of Colonel of the regiment.”
The video has been viewed over 7 million times, garnering over 179,000 likes and more than 3300 comments. Many commenters offered their take on why Kate may have looked that way, with one opining: “I don’t think she particularly enjoys public speaking as she seems naturally a shy person. But she steps up & fulfills her duty.”
And while many thought she looked nervous, another person believes: “She’s not nervous [it’s] sadness about her husband leaving his position as colonel and honor he’s giving it to her.”
But a third person pointed out that there could be a number of reasons for the princess’s demeanor, writing: “No one knows if she had maybe [an] anxiety attack or something like that. Or maybe stomachache? Could be anything.”
Body language expert explains why the princess gave William a ‘cold, hard stare’
Another moment some fans noticed from other footage that day is Kate giving William what has been described as a “cold, hard stare.”
Author and body language expert Judi James analyzed the way the princess glared at her husband and concluded that she did so to adopt “a more serious look” in her new role as “Colonel Catherine.”
James explained to The Mirror that “[Kate] stands fully to attention as she fixes William with what looks like a seriously cold, hard stare. The look shows how seriously Kate is taking her new role. Her body language is immaculate here and military rather than royal. William’s response to her stare is a very puckered-looking smile to suggest pride and perhaps a sense of respect for the woman who is taking over his role.”
