The Duchess of Cambridge was ‘confident’ yet ‘assertive’ during her Caribbean tour, as she ’emerged as a future Queen’ with as ‘much talent for firm, calm leadership as the current one’, a body language expert has claimed.
William and Kate’s charm offensive mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee has been beset with controversy and helped reignite for republican calls in Jamaica for complete independence from Britain.
However throughout the tour, body language expert Judi James said the mother-of-three, 40, had appeared as a Queen-in-waiting.
Judi explained: ‘William and Kate’s professional and emotional double-act has probably never looked stronger than it does on this tour and it is a testament to both of them that Kate’s signals of power and signs of leadership have been revealed openly and with what looks like a welcome response from her husband.’
Speaking to FEMAIL, the expert explained how the Duchess has taken the lead on the international trip, proving herself to be ‘much more than a mere consort’ to the Duke, 39.
The Duchess of Cambridge was ‘confident’ yet ‘assertive’ during her Caribbean tour, as she ’emerged as a future Queen’ with as ‘much talent for firm, calm leadership as the current one’, a body language expert has claimed
FROM WAITEY KATIE TO QUEEN IN WAITING
Judi explained: ‘It would be hard to over-emphasise the version of Kate we have been seeing during this royal tour and how vital her impact is going to be on the dynamic of the Firm in the future.
‘The ‘Waitey Katie’ tag has taken a long time to shrug off, as have the suggestions that Kate is bland and rather passive.
Judi explained Kate was delightful in her interactions with children on the tour showing herself as a Queen in waiting
‘Kate has been a slow mover in terms of royal profile and positioning, adopting a cautious, ‘steady as she goes’ approach to her role, avoiding change and drama, rather than rocking the royal boat but the body language of both Kate and William on this tour appears to show how they both finally recognise that she can now be launched as her fun, daring, extrovert and even seriously flirtatious self.
‘Like everything about Kate, the signs have been relatively subtle but here’s what we are now being informed via non-verbal signals about the woman who will one day be Queen.’
THE INCREASE IN REGAL SIGNALLING
Judi explained: ‘Kate’s wave seems to have upgraded slightly in terms of status on this tour.
‘She and William would usually perform a low status, ‘friendship’ wave but here we can see Kate looking relaxed while performing more of a higher-status ‘hail’ wave, with the arm bent back from the elbow and the hand itself slightly cupped.
‘Although miles away from the super-formal, traditional royal wave this new version looks much more accepting of Kate’s role as future Queen.
Judi explained: ‘Kate’s wave seems to have upgraded slightly in terms of status on this tour’ she is pictured leaving the Bahamas last night
‘Kate also seems to have upgraded her handshake on this tour, possibly borrowing a technique similar to that used by the Queen.
‘During more formal meet and greets we can see William keeping his hand low and ‘digging into’ his handshakes in a very chummy way but Kate seems to be extending more of a raised arm and lowered hand, with little tight clasping as the hands meet.
‘It looks more elegant and regal, with her friendlier signals being performed via her pronounced eye smile.
INCREASE IN INNER CONFIDENCE SIGNALS
Judi added: ‘Kate’s posture whether she is standing next to her husband or alone is now more of a pose known as ‘military’, with the chin held up and both arms down at the sides, with an upturned V gap under the armpit.
‘There are no torso-touches or barrier rituals to suggest shyness or wariness.
‘Kate has also been seen taking the lead at meet and greets too, with William happily adopting the role of what looks like her escort.
Judi also explained how Kate was ‘taking the lead’ during visits with William ‘adopting the role of her escort’
‘This new posture looks like a natural alignment rather being prompted by conscious effort.
‘Kate’s shoulders are splayed and kept low, rather than hunched or raised to suggest the kind of muscle contraction that comes with stress or tension and her hands show very little if any signs of tension in close-up, suggesting congruent, authentic, calm confidence.
SIGNALS OF ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT SHOWING LEADERSHIP WITH CONFIDENCE
‘While William seems to sit back slightly on some of their visits, Kate has been taking an active lead and without using eye-checking signals to ensure her “leader” role has the approval of her husband.
‘His puckered smile and the rather bashful poses he adopts, allowing Kate to display her famous competitive side, laughing at William when she outdoes him in terms of being daring, as she does here when she literally necks some food while he sits looking more squeamish, suggest the couple are more than comfortable revealing and promoting this dynamic, with Kate often seen as leader.
William allowed Kate to display her ‘famous competitive side’ allowing her ‘neck food’ during the trip
‘Her thrown back head and wide open mouth shows off her extrovert side here.
‘Like the sailing and like her rugby poses in the UK, Kate throws herself into every physical challenge with a dazzling display of confidence.
‘The same has been true of her body language with small children.
THE PERFECT DOUBLE ACT WITH WILLIAM
The body language expert explained how the Duchess has emerged as a star in her own right during the tour.
‘As Kate has taken the lead more on this tour, William has seemed to respond with body language signals of pride and awe, with a side order of what looks like relief,’ Judi said.
‘It’s when Kate turns off the smiles and William turns on the glances of admiration that we can see the new dynamic between the royal couple.
Judi James revealed how Kate’s ‘gentle hand’ on Prince William’s back has become a ‘signature ritual’ for the couple
‘The flirtatious exchanges and Kate’s glances and grins of fun and affection are still firmly in place but as she steps up it seems William’s public displays are becoming subtly similar to his responses to his grandmother when he appears with the Queen in public.’
Judi revealed how an evening reception in Jamaica had been a ‘show-stopping moment of the tour’ for the Duchess.
She explained: ‘In her shoulder-less emerald evening gown and with her hair swept up she appeared every inch the elegant future queen.
‘It would also have been easy to pigeonhole Kate into the role of consort too, a quietly constant support to her husband on this very difficult tour in the way that Camilla is a constant source of support, back-up and approval for Charles.
The body language expert revealed how Kate now ‘carries herself with utter personal confidence’ and adopts a ‘fig leaf barrier’ to ‘pay respect to her hosts by lowering her own status a little’
‘But there have been some revealing body language moments on this tour that have proved, once and for all, that Kate’s current role in her marriage and in the dynamics of the Firm itself is much, much more than that of mere consort.
She continued: ‘Her gentle hand on his back has become a signature ritual, as has some flattering flirting gestures when he looks rather stuck for a confident response.’
‘While Williams body language rituals have suggested inner anxieties with all the pressures to do well, with his regular clothing checks and touches or his barrier-driven ‘fig leaf’ pose with his hands clasped defensively in front of his lower torso, Kate has been using some subtle steering gestures or using her own laughter and happy smiles to induce the same in him.’
Royal fans were charmed after Prince William joked he was ‘out of his depth’ during a visit to Shortwood Teacher Training College in Kingston, Jamaica, on Wednesday, where the couple met with students training to become early childhood education practitioners.
Meanwhile Judi pointed out one particularly significant moment between the Duke and Duchess after he joked he was ‘out of his depth’ discussing Early Years
However Judi said the joke revealed a significant dynamic between the royal couple.
She explained: ‘Hosting a meeting with teachers to discuss one of her core projects she announced she was starting the discussion, taking the lead while William sat beside her.
‘A very telling moment in terms of the couples dynamics came when William interrupted with what was supposed to be a self-effacing joke, splaying his hands in a defensive gesture as he told the group ‘I’m out of my depth here’.
‘This was, of course, clumsy as it implied a lack of any knowledge about his wife’s important campaign, as though they were discussing knitting patterns or swapping recipes.
‘The way Kate dealt with this instantly and firmly was phenomenal from a woman once known for more cautiously passive responses.
‘Kate patted her husband on the shoulder in a gentle signal of silencing or stopping and when he tried to talk more she patted him again, correcting him firmly with the comment ‘ You hear me talking about it at home’.
‘William’s response was tellingly compliant, too. He straightened his tie and looked down like a naughty schoolboy, twiddling his thumbs and staring at them before looking up to throw a smile of genuine admiration for the woman now emerging as a future Queen with as much talent for firm, calm leadership as the current one.’
‘PERFECT’ SOCIAL SMILE… AND ASSERTIVE EXPRESSIONS
Judi explained the Duchess has been showing her new levels of confidence through her ‘perfect’ smile and facial expressions.
She revealed: ‘Kate’s facial expressions on this tour have been especially telling in terms of her new levels of confidence and also revealing about the dynamics we are now seeing between herself and William.
Judi explained the Duchess has been showing her new levels of confidence through her ‘perfect’ smile and facial expressions.
‘Along with her perfect social smile and the broader grins and laughter, we have now been shown a more serious, business like and even firmer facial expression from the future Queen.
‘Kate now carries herself with utter personal confidence though, walking with both arms down at her sides and only adopting her own fig leaf barrier to pay respect to her hosts by lowering her own status a little.
‘We are seeing Kate show her leadership skills now and that pitch-perfect smile can also be replaced by an expression of assertive firmness.’
‘DEFIANT’ AND BUSINESSLIKE SPEECHES
The mother-of-three gave two speeches during the tour, both while visiting schools, and commented on her own Early Years research.
The body language expert explained that while the Duchess is ‘not a confident speaker’, she had shown a ‘business-like’ approach to speeches during the royal tour.
The mother-of-three gave two speeches during the tour, both while visiting schools, and commented on her own Early Years research.
Judi explained: ‘Kate is not a naturally confident lectern speaker but her performances on this tour have offered glimpses of the more campaigning role she might be taking in future.
‘Her approach has been serious and formal and despite the floaty, mint green dress here, her body pose looks businesslike, with a calm eye expression, a confident shoulder splay and rather defiant-looking raised chin.’
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