Kate Middleton and Prince William recently stepped out for the unveiling of their new portrait, which is currently on display at the University of Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum. Following their outing, body language expert Judi James shared her observations of how the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge interacted with each other throughout the engagement.
Kate Middleton Reportedly Has Two Signature Poses When She’s With Prince William
While speaking with The Sun, James said that Kate Middleton usually does two moves when she’s out with Prince William. And both poses reportedly say a lot about her and Prince William’s marriage.
James described the first move as the fig leaf pose, which is characterized by putting a person’s hands over her private area to signify a self-protective barrier ritual. According to the body language expert, the Duke of Cambridge is known for doing the exact same pose when he’s out in public. And this makes Prince William look timid and shy.
But over time, Middleton started mirroring the same pose that Prince William is known for. And this reportedly shows like-minded thinking between the couple.
“Mirroring signals like-minded thinking and, in Kate’s case, the way she mimics his pose and makes it look much more elegant and less anxious helps to make William look less defensive or barrier by proxy. It’s a sign of empathy as well as love and the frequent, subliminal mirroring traits the Cambridges use is a subtle but powerful sign of their closeness as partners and strong, like-minded bonds as future monarchs,” James explained.
The body language expert added that Middleton usually gazes at Prince William when they’re out in public. And the couple typically looks into each other’s eyes before smiling at each other.
“If her hand clasp is a mirroring gesture, this gazing seems to be a ‘leading’ ritual, aimed at bringing out William’s happier, fun side during their public appearances. William hasn’t always had the happiest relationship with the cameras, and he did have a reputation for being a bit moody a few years ago. Kate’s smile acts as a state-changer as she teases him silently into smiling back. During a long day packed with royal visits, it would be like a mini-energy and mood booster, and it is nearly always met with a coy smile or a grin of pleasure from William,” James said.
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Prince William, Kate Middleton’s New Portrait Criticized
However, Prince William and Middleton also made headlines for an entirely different reason following the unveiling of their new portrait. After all, some art critics from Britain couldn’t help but criticize the piece.
In his column for Daily Mail, A.N. Wilson described the painting as wistful and slightly petulant. Wilson also said that it didn’t look the least bit like the Duchess of Cambridge.
“While the Cambridge family are certainly all still young and beautiful, they should be commissioning some good art to immortalize them. "This would not just be an act of vanity. It would be a proclamation to the world, and to future generations, of why we pin our hopes on them for a continuation of the constitutional monarchy,” he wrote (via Newsweek).
Rachel Campbell-Johnson, another art critic, called the painting a swagger portrait because it seemed as though Middleton is sporting a five o’clock shadow.
She added that if royal fans wanted to meet the couple in replica, it would be better if they just visited Madame Tussauds.
Jamie Coreth Says It Was A Privilege To Create Prince William, Kate Middleton’s Portrait
But despite the criticisms, the artist the drew Prince William and Middleton’s portrait couldn’t be more thrilled with the opportunity.
“It has been the most extraordinary privilege of my life to be chosen to paint this picture. I wanted to show Their Royal Highnesses in a manner where they appeared both relaxed and approachable, as well as elegant and dignified. As it is the first portrait to depict them together, and specifically during their time as The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, I wanted the image to evoke a feeling of balance between their public and private lives,” Jamie Coreth said.
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