The sign Kate Middleton’s ‘no pushover’ behind the scenes, according to a body language expert

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge visits the Foundling Museum
(Image credit: Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Kate Middleton has been observed growing in confidence since she first joined the Royal Family and her body language reportedly shows she’s “no pushover”. 

Kate Middleton has been an official member of The Firm for over a decade since she and Prince William married at Westminster Abbey. Whilst Kate and William’s love story started in their university days, upon becoming the Duchess of Cambridge, she then took on the responsibilities of life as a working royal. And Kate’s certainly done just that, with reports suggesting William and Kate are even “taking the lead” in the Royal Family in recent times. 

But it’s the Duchess’ body language that could be the biggest indicator of just how much she’s grown in confidence. According to Express.co.uk, body language expert Judi James has analysed Kate Middleton over the years - and there are signs she’s certainly “no pushover”.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attend the Earthshot Prize 2021

Opening up to the publication, Judi claimed, “Her body language signals at the start of her marriage suggested a polite and charming woman who displayed gestures of a self-effacing shyness while she was inducted into her royal role.”

An example of this, Judi believes, is one of Kate’s first meetings with global leaders, where the expert perceived Michelle Obama “using truncated touch gestures” to help to put the Duchess “at ease”

Judi explained that Kate “clutched her bag in front of her torso as a barrier” and “leant back as she chatted and laughed”. Though she suggested that even though there was a sense of shyness, there were also “clues” to Kate having a “more influential personality”, claiming that William “tended to mirror” Kate’s body language rather than the other way around. 

US First Lady Michelle Obama meets with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge

All these years later, however, Judi believes that Kate is very much a “stand-alone royal” who has brilliant “professionalism” at engagements. 

“The woman who once held her small clutch bag as a barrier and who would form a rather modest double-act with her husband has now grown into a stand-alone royal making solo appearances and making public presentations with understated professionalism,” the expert stated. 

“Her perfect smile has grown into what will often be a genuine-looking laugh of delight or good humour and she now tends to arrive hands-free or with her bag held down at her side in a gesture of social confidence. Rather than being put at ease by global players, she has adopted gestures and rituals to put them at ease.” 

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge embarks on a boat trip, on Lake Windermere

Judi added that, “her eye expressions often include a touch of shrewdness to suggest she is no pushover or shrinking violet behind the scenes”. She then also went on to express her belief that Kate is displaying her growth in confidence in an understated way. 

“Kate’s current body language shows how much she has grown in both confidence and charisma but without once compromising William’s obvious desire to avoid rabid interest or to provide any soap-opera-style narrative,” Judi declared.

This comes as the Duchess of Cambridge recently celebrated her 40th birthday, effortlessly challenging Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth in a new portrait. And she prepares to one day follow them in this important role, Kate Middleton remains one of the most popular royals. 

Emma Shacklock
Senior Lifestyle Writer

Emma is a Senior Lifestyle Writer with six years of experience working in digital publishing, ranging from book publishing to magazines. She currently looks after all things Lifestyle for Woman&Home, Goodto.com, and My Imperfect Life.