The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Wales on March 1 on the occasion of St. David's Day, the country's celebration of its patron saint. As always when these two step out together, it was a treat and a half.
First of all, they just seemed so happy—especially the duchess, who repeatedly smiled with her eyes and both rows of teeth throughout the day.
Body language expert Darren Stanton noticed, too. "Whether she’s carrying out royal engagements alone or with William in tow, it’s fair to say Kate is equally confident, as we’ve seen following her recent trip to Copenhagen," Stanton tells Marie Claire on behalf of Betfair Casino. "However, she appears to display an extra level of happiness when she and William are stepping out together." Isn't that so great???
Throughout the day, the duke and duchess switched between being super affectionate with each other and giving each other space, so they could focus more on the people they were interacting with and the places they were visiting. But even when they were standing apart from each other, the Cambridges mirrored each other and looked super in sync.
"What’s really interesting about William and Kate is that while at times we see them being affectionate with one another while out in public—like holding hands or linked arms—they are equally as comfortable keeping their distance and refraining from tactile displays," Stanton explains.
"You’ll see here that they are often walking separately and there is a subtle yet noticeable distance between the two. However, they still appear in sync and within close proximity to one another, while instinctively still mirroring each other’s body movements—stepping forward with the same leg first or holding their arms in a similar manner. This is all reflective of a deep connection and love between them and something that cannot be faked, suggesting that their relationship is nothing but genuine.
"This desire of theirs to mingle and interact with the British public, meet locals and their genuine want to fully embrace the places they visit is what makes them a firm favorite among royal fans."
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While they were inside, Prince William and Kate Middleton were adorably matching in forest green sweaters.
The duchess' sweater was a turtleneck, paired with her trusty black skinnies, a brown belt and black heeled booties.
Earlier in the day, she wore a red scarf (was this her taking sides on the Taylor/Jake controversy??? (No, obviously not, red and green are the colors of Wales.)) with a classic English country-girl green waxed jacket, similar to the one her husband wore.
Later on, the duchess changed into a beautiful forest green wool coat by Sportmax, while her husband wore a navy blue wool coat. Both of them sported a Welsh daffodil on their lapels.
The Cambridges had a pretty full-on day. They visited a place called Pant Farm, where they petted some PRECIOUS BABY GOATS (and some precious adult goats, for that matter).
They visited the Abergavenny Market, where they spoke to sellers of local produce.
They planted a tree at the Blaenavon Heritage Centreon.
They visited a youth center called Blaenavon Hwb, where they made what looked like pancakes, and might be crempogau (Welsh pancakes, though please don't take my word for that).
They also played pool at the youth center.
And they greeted flag-bearing crowds, with lots of excited kids.
Sounds exhausting, but it looks like they had a great time!
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
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