Princess Charlotte’s Subtle Gesture Sums up Her Relationship With Prince William
One small move from Princess Charlotte defines her “special” relationship with Prince William, according to a body language expert. What the young royal did at a public family outing in 2020 proved while Charlotte may appreciate the occasional affection from her father, she’s also “independent.”
Princess Charlotte dropped Prince William’s hand on the red carpet in 2020
In a moment that proved telling to body language expert Judi James, Charlotte let go of her father’s hand at a December 2020 pantomime performance. William and Kate arrived at the Palladium Theatre in London, England, walking hand-in-hand with Charlotte and her brothers, a now-9-year-old Prince George and now-5-year-old Prince Louis.
However, moments after their arrival, Charlotte “swiftly pulled away once they reached the red carpet to walk in by herself,” James noted (via Express).
“The gesture probably defines the special father/daughter relationship well,” she continued. “William has always been a very even-handed dad in terms of play, affection rituals, and attention-giving. But his three children have very different personalities and his daughter is probably the most confident and independent right now.”
James observed George appeared “happy to hold his dad’s hand for longer,” while Louis “prefers to tear around entertaining the crowds.” As for Charlotte, she “seems to be keen to show how quickly she is growing up and how little parenting she needs now.”
Charlotte still seems to like it when William shows her ‘affection’
James continued, saying Charlotte isn’t totally averse to public displays of affection, or PDA, from her dad.
“The affection tie-signs are still there from William and still apparently very much appreciated by Charlotte,” she said. William might “stroke” Charlotte’s hair as a “reward gesture or as a comforting act at more challenging events like the Jubilee celebrations.”
However, James noted the Prince of Wales is “increasingly watching with pride as his daughter takes over as ‘class prefect’ when it comes to her two brothers and their behaviour at formal events.”
Princess Charlotte mimicked Prince William at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in an example of ‘subliminal bonding’
James also saw “strong father-daughter bonds” at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, which Charlotte attended alongside William and Kate sans her brothers. The now-8-year-old sat in the stands smiling and talking with her parents. However, it was William whose body language she imitated, not Kate’s.
“She can often be seen mimicking her mother’s body language,” James said of the young royal. “But at a more relaxed event like this it was William that Charlotte was mirroring most,” she shared, calling it a show of “subliminal bonding and empathy between them.”
The 2022 Commonwealth Games also saw Charlotte practice greeting people and reach a turning point in her relationship with Kate.
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
