How Kate Middleton Showed a Child Had Her ‘Total Attention’ With Her Coat in Wales, According to a Body Language Expert
TL;DR:
- Kate Middleton knelt down to speak to a 4-year-old boy during a Sept. 27 visit to Wales with Prince William.
- A body language expert says Kate Middleton signaled the child had her “total attention” by showing no concern about her coat touching the ground.
- Kneeling down to speak with children has become standard practice for Kate Middleton.
Kate Middleton sent a message with her coat during a recent appearance with Prince William in Wales, according to a body language expert. Ahead, learn the subtle way she gave a child her “total attention” without saying a word.
Prince William and Kate Middleton visited Wales on Sept. 27 for the first time as the Prince and Princess of Wales
It’s back to royal duties after a mourning period following Queen Elizabeth’s death. On Sept. 27, the newly-styled Prince and Princess of Wales traveled to their namesake region. It marked the couple’s first visit to Wales since receiving their new titles.
William and Kate made a number of stops. First, they visited Anglesey, where they lived from 2010 to 2013. There they went to a lifeboat station and a local cafe. Later, they traveled to Swansea to visit a church-turned food bank.
Body language expert says Kate Middleton not being concerned about her coat demonstrated a child had her ‘total attention’
In Wales, Kate crouched down wearing a red coat from LK Bennett, one of her go-to fashion brands. Some have since pointed to the outfit as one of her many Princess Diana-inspired fashion moments.
Meanwhile, body language expert Judi James saw something else. Specifically, how the 40-year-old appeared unfazed when her coat touched the ground as she greeted Theo Crompton, 4.
“With Kate’s smart coat trailing on the ground, this showed he had her total attention rather than any concerns about her clothing,” James told Express.
“She bobs down in a bounce to crouch to his height to make him feel special and important,” James added, noting that Kate’s interactions with children that day were “well-timed and well-crafted.”
Not only did Kate not mind her coat touching the ground, but according to James, she also exhibited “body language matching” and “caring” gestures.
Kneeling down to speak to children is ‘the norm’ for Kate Middleton
Crouching down to be at a child’s eye level isn’t unusual for the mother of three. Kate does it with her own children, Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4.
And, of course, children she meets at events. Celebrities have even admitted to copying Kate’s move. However, this wasn’t always a familiar sight among royals.
“In the past, it would be unheard of for a royal parent to kneel down to their child at a public engagement,” parenting expert Mohammed Patel told Express. “However, showing this kind of affection to her three children has become the norm for Kate.”
Patel, who is also CEO of Kiddies Kingdom, continued. “When one of her children becomes distressed or upset in public, her calm and relaxed nature becomes apparent as she only has to crouch by their side to reassure them,” he explained.
Patel added that as George, Charlotte, and Louis get older, Kate’s likely to “treat them as equals and not tower over them as a figure to be feared.” In doing so, Kate’s “breaking the norm” and “paving the way for a new type of royalty.”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
