Body Language Expert Says Kate Middleton’s Hands Indicate She Has ‘Fully Embraced’ Becoming ‘Queen’

Kate Middleton, now known as Catherine, Princess of Wales, wasn’t raised a royal. Rather, she met Prince William in college, and after nearly a decade of dating, the two wed in May 2011, and Kate officially became a working member of the royal family.

Since then, she’s had plenty of time to come into her own as the future queen. Kate will take the throne alongside Prince William once King Charles III either dies or steps down, and she’s been training her whole royal life for that eventual moment. For now, though, Kate’s ability to ace royal engagements has only become easier, and one body language expert says the princess’ hand signals show she’s much more at ease with her role than she once was.

Kate Middleton is the future queen — and has been training for years for her role

William and Kate first made their debut as a couple way back in 2004, when William took Kate on the family’s widely publicized ski trip, where the public caught their first glimpse at who would become the future queen.

Kate attended a number of events alongside the royal family before marrying William, but she wasn’t considered an official working royal until she wed the prince in April 2011. Since then, Kate has made countless appearances both with and without her husband, and she’s been able to hold her own; the princess currently has one of the highest approval ratings in the United Kingdom of any royal family member. As the years have passed, Kate has seemingly become more confident in her future role, taking on engagements with ease — and according to one body language expert, her movements prove it.

Kate Middleton’s hand signals indicate she is more confident in her role

It looks like the future queen is becoming even more confident in her own abilities, according to body language expert Darren Stanton. Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, Stanton said (via Mirror) that Kate’s hand signals make clear that she is growing into her role.

“Hand signals play a massive part in showing us how open and honest a person is,” Stanton said. “During her early years as a royal, Kate tended to hold her hands in front of her body, at least when she knew she was being photographed.”

Stanton said Kate’s “unconscious barrier” of having her hands in front of her body signaled a “lack of confident,” but that it has subsided quite a bit in recent years.

“In the years leading up to becoming Princess of Wales, Kate has managed to overcome her nerves and rarely displays these gestures anymore,” Stanton added. “Since becoming Princess of Wales, Kate’s body language has definitely changed. It’s almost as though she has fully embraced the idea that she is going to be Queen.”

Kate takes on royal engagements with ease these days, often leading the way while appearing in public with William. And though the two do still take on plenty of engagements together, Kate seems to have no issue working with the public on her own. Ever since announcing her mental health initiative, Kate has taken great strides to work with different organizations to promote mental health; something she often does on her own.