Prince George’s Gotten Less PDA From William and Kate Since Wearing 1 Outfit — Body Language Expert
Suits might mean no — or at least fewer — snuggles for Prince George. A body language expert says the royal seems to be on the receiving end of fewer public displays of affection, or PDA, from his parents, Prince William and Kate Middleton, since the introduction of suits to his wardrobe.
Prince George first wore suits publicly in 2021
George’s wardrobe became more about suits and less about wearing shorts like his younger brother, Prince Louis, 5, in 2021. The now-9-year-old wore a suit to a service of thanksgiving honoring his late great-grandfather, Prince Philip.
In 2022 George’s suit-wearing ramped up. He sported one Platinum Jubilee weekend, standing on the Buckingham Palace balcony and chatting with his great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Just weeks following the celebration, George went to Wimbledon with his parents, the now-Prince and Princess of Wales. Once again, he wore a suit and tie. George’s outfit choice resulted in some public criticism given the heatwave sweeping England at the time.
George went on to wear a suit to the queen’s funeral in September 2022. Since then, he’s continued wearing suits to many events, such as royal family holidays and public appearances.
William and Kate’s PDA with George began to ‘decline gently’ with the suit-wearing
Wearing a suit seems to have changed how William and Kate interact with George in public. According to body language expert Judi James, since George started wearing suits, the Prince and Princess of Wales seem to be less eager to shower him with physical affection.
“The moment George started wearing suits like his father’s, the hand-holding, cuddling, and other personal displays of affection tended to decline gently from both William and Kate,” James told the U.K.’s Express.
Since then George has often appeared “to mimic his father’s body language as closely as possible” when he’s at an official royal engagement such as his grandfather King Charles III’s coronation or Trooping the Colour.
“Royal mothers seem to set a strong example of a classic style of nurturing, where the job seems to be to grow healthy, energetic children who are then nudged towards [sic] their independence as quickly as possible, especially the boys, almost as an act of survival.”
George looked ‘older than his years’ at a cricket match with Prince William
Multiple body language experts observed George looking mature at a July 1 cricket match with William. Per The Mirror, the two ate pizza and talked with the Prime Minister in the royal box as England took on Australia.
Despite not wearing a full-on suit and tie — George wore a button-down shirt and blazer sans tie like William — the young royal looked like more of a grown-up than a soon-to-be-10-year-old boy.
“George appears older than his years,” Inbaal Honigman, a body language expert, said. “We don’t see any fidgeting. He’s sitting patiently, watching and chatting.” Additionally, George’s George’s attention didn’t seem to waver. He appeared “fully engaged” with the “environment around him.”
Pointing out how George’s demeanor has hinted at self-consciousness in the past, fellow body language expert Adrienne Carter noted he’s made strides in his overall confidence.
“In this clip we see a confident boy growing and being calm under scrutiny,” Carter observed. “In some clips at previous events, George can often look self-conscious, but we don’t see any of that in this clip.”
Meanwhile, William, the expert said, “comes across as a hands-on parent and willing to take the time to spend with his oldest son one-on-one. He wants to show a close bond to the world.”
