The Princess of Wales, Kate, was seen leaning on her husband Prince William for support as she made a stunning return to royal duties today. Dressed in a striking maroon coat, matching hat and heeled boots, Kate and the Prince of Wales warmly welcomed the Emir of Qatar and his wife on their state visit to the UK.
Since announcing in September that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment and was focusing on “doing what I can to stay cancer-free,” Kate has been slowly resuming her royal responsibilities. After meeting the Qatari guests at their hotel, William and Kate escorted them to Horse Guards Parade where they were introduced to King Charles before returning to Buckingham Palace in a carriage procession.
During the event at Horse Guards, William was spotted gently placing a seemingly supportive hand on his wife’s back as they greeted dignitaries. However, body language expert Judi James suggests the gesture may have a “different slant.”
Speaking to The Mirror, she said: “His hand on Kate’s back can be seen as supportive, but it actually looks more like a symptom of the affectionate and slightly flirty truncated hugs he’s been showering her with since their video update showed them as a truly tactile and flirty couple in private.
She added: “His touch on Kate’s shoulder is more about showing polite priority, which could in turn reflect her power and strength signals here. It registers full attention when she speaks, which means both love and respect,” reports the Mirror.
For today’s significant event, Duchess Kate dazzled in an ensemble by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, paired with a Sahar Millinery hat, and boots from Gianvito Rossi. Donning the Qatari national color, Kate paid homage to the late Queen by wearing her necklace and earrings.
Body language expert Judi passionately described: “The razor-sharp tailored shoulders are a power option, as are the killer boots that match her outfit, to create a solid block of burgundy, a regal colour associated with strength and a desire to stand out rather than stand back.
The brimless matching hat and the hair swept up into an immaculate chignon offers Kate no hiding place in terms of ducking behind her hair or a brim. This revealing option is clearly chosen to allow her to present what is a radiant smile to her fans and to the world, with not one micro-gesture of anxiety or nerves.”
“With the addition of the pearls Kate has perfected the same levels of regal presence and elegance as she did in the iconic photograph taken at Philip’s funeral, where she first emerged looking like the perfect future Queen. The slightly reflective eye expression we have seen since her illness has gone here and her eye smile, with one brow slightly raised, suggests a sense of fun and full engagement. Her poise in tailored coat dress involves her arms often hanging relaxed at her sides in a look of increased confidence.”
“She seems to want to make meeting her an upbeat experience and also a status one too as she looks every inch the warmly hosting future queen here. Like any good host, she seems to want to make the event go well rather than call too much worried attention to herself and her recovery.”
