Many commenters have remarked that the Duchess of Cambridge has gained massively in confidence since she first entered the Royal Family in 2011.
On the other hand, while Princess Diana was a widely beloved figure in her day, she always displayed a distinct shyness throughout her years in the public eye—a shyness which body language expert Darren Stanton sees reflected in photos of Kate Middleton early in her marriage.
“Kate was arguably more reserved when she was first thrown into the spotlight several years ago,” Stanton tells Marie Claire on behalf of Slingo. “She behaved in a similar way Princess Diana did when she first got engaged to Prince Charles. Kate would always stay very close to William and continuously look towards him to seek his approval and reassurance.”
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“Now, it’s very clear that Kate is less reliant on William and even when out with him, she maintains a subtle distance from her husband—proving she is more than capable of holding her own,” Stanton adds.
“Kate also used to position her hands in front of her—another self-reassuring gesture which signifies feelings of anxiousness. However, these days she is seen making what is known as open palm gestures instead—doing so signifies not only confidence, but openness, genuineness and honesty. The difference in how she holds her hands during engagements suggest that she has grown into the large shoes that come with being an established member of the Royal Family.”
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