Prince William and Kate Middleton ‘Unusually Tactile’ as They Visit Troops Ahead of Queen Elizabeth’s Funeral, Body Language Expert Says
TL;DR:
- On Sept. 16, Prince William and Kate Middleton visited Commonwealth troops who will take part in Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.
- The couple appeared, according to a body language expert, “unusually tactile.”
- Previously, an expert said the couple’s movements suggested they were “toning it down” in public.
A body language expert dubbed Prince William and Kate Middleton “unusually tactile” at their latest outing ahead of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. Ahead, see what the Prince and Princess of Wales did when they visited Commonwealth troops on Sept. 16 to earn the label.
Body language expert says Prince William and Kate Middleton appeared to exhibit a ‘sharing of grief via touch’
William and Kate didn’t hold hands at Westminster Hall for Queen Elizabeth’s lying in state service. However, when they visited Commonwealth troops who have been deployed to the U.K. to participate in Queen’s Elizabeth funeral that wasn’t necessarily the case.
The parents of three were noticeably more hands-on when they traveled an hour outside London, England, to the Pirbright military training center.
“Despite the very formal and beautifully smart outfits and the way both their faces seem to be etched with grief, this is an unusually tactile Kate and William,” body language expert Judi James told the U.K.’s The Sun.
William, as James noted, did some of the same motions he did at Sandringham House a day earlier. As for Kate, she appeared “more confident” despite narrowed eyes and tight lips hinting at “ongoing sadness.”
In an “unusual” moment for the Princess of Wales, she placed her hand on an army personnel’s waist. This move suggested to James a “sharing of grief via touch.”
The royal family has been ‘more openly emotional’ since Queen Elizabeth’s death, according to a body language expert
It seems the British stiff upper lip is gone, at least for the moment. “The royals have been far more openly emotional and tactile since the queen’s death,” James said.
Prince Harry appeared to cry at the queen’s lying in state service. Kate’s looked somber or close to tears. William shared he had reminders of Princess Diana’s funeral.
Most recently, when Kate put her left hand on a man’s waist while they talked, James described it as a “gesture of empathy.” Additionally, the Prince and Princess of Wales engaged in some rare PDA or public displays of affection with each other.
Perhaps, in part, because William seemed to “find and give comfort via touch rituals,” James said. For instance, at the start of the visit, the 40-year-old put a “loving and supporting” hand on Kate’s back.
William and Kate’s body language previously hinted to an expert they were ‘toning it down’
Prior to appearing “unusually tactile” during their Sept. 16 appearance, William and Kate hinted they were “very tactile in private.” At a July 2022 polo match, James compared the Prince and Princess of Wales to a “young couple on a first date.”
At one point, the couple hugged each other in a way that suggested to James they were “tempering or toning down their body language in public.” She also highlighted how they lingered after a kiss, suggesting they’re “more intimate and affectionate” out of the spotlight.
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