Kate Middleton’s Prison Visit Ushers in New Era of Public Interaction With a ‘Sharing of Thoughts’ Gesture and Takes After Princess Diana, Expert Says
Kate Middleton’s headed for a new era. A body language expert says how the Princess of Wales behaved on a prison visit looked similar to Princess Diana, her late mother-in-law. Ahead, the facial expression Kate made and why it could mean a change in her “relationship with the public.”
Kate kept her ‘inner feelings’ private on public appearances prior to her Sept. 12 prison visit
Body language expert Judie James said despite putting her “royal smile” or leadership style on display, Kate typically doesn’t share her “inner feelings” on public engagements (via Woman & Home). However, that appears to be changing after Kate went to HMP High Down prison in Surrey, England, on Sept. 12, 2023.
As royal patron of the Forward Trust, Kate visited the prison to learn about addiction recovery starting with what a family experiences on a normal visit, including security. Performing a “’sharing of thoughts’ gesture” while doing so was telling, James explained.
“Kate has always seemed to fight shy of having actual non-verbal conversations with the viewer. Her smiles and gestures might be flawless, but she tends to give little if anything away about her inner feelings.”
As a result, when she did a “sharing of thoughts” facial expression, it signaled to the expert that it “might herald a new phase in her relationship with the public.”
Kate Middleton’s prison visit looked ‘self-effacing’ like Diana while going through security
As for Kate’s so-called “sharing of thoughts” expression, James highlighted how the 41-year-old channeled Diana.
“It is unfair and a little mean to make comparisons between two royal icons,” the expert said.
But Kate’s body language as she sits in a line waiting for the sniffer dog to do a security check on her throws up — for the first time — a trait that always made Diana so popular and accessible.”
“Kate sits submissively like the others in the line,” James continued. “But she also performs a slight smile and widens her eyes to show some self-effacing humour that she knows she is sharing with the viewer.”
“It was small tie-signs of humour like this that Diana often aimed at herself that made people feel they were friends with her because it was a very personal form of conversation,” she added.
‘Shy’ Kate appeared confident the entire time during her prison visit
“Kate’s shy smile and small baby wave to the photographers at the end of this visit is no indication of her presence during it,” James continued. Rather, the royal’s body language throughout the visit signaled “confidence” to the expert. Additionally, “a much more easy-going ability to choreograph and lead conversations that might have been difficult without her skills.”
“She is now a very active royal presence, walking with enthusiasm and taking the lead rather than just being more submissively hosted,” James explained. “And this suggests she has a genuine, passionate interest in the people she is meeting plus, like the late queen before her, some sound knowledge of their lives and experiences.”
Kate’s “animated hand gestures and her much wider range of facial expressions allow her to change states depending on who she is meeting, turning a royal visit into something more meaningful,” James said, noting the visit included a “very confident version of Kate” that’s “invaluable” when greeting the public because it’s “contagious confidence, meaning we can see the people around her quickly relaxing and chatting normally.”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
