Kate Middleton Behaved in a Similar Way to Princess Diana in Early Days as a Duchess, Meghan Markle Always Showed Confidence: Body Language Expert

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 (opens in new tab). "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."

"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."

But if the Duchess of Cambridge was a slow burner (who wouldn't be, in her position?), the Duchess of Sussex always displayed confidence in spades, according to Stanton.

"While Kate has arguably evolved over time in the spotlight, Meghan has maintained a sense of confidence and strength," the expert says. "So much so, that throughout her relationship with Harry she has been seen reassuring him during public appearances the couple make together and taking the lead."

For Stanton, this confidence came in part from Meghan Markle's experience as an actress.

"In the early days of her joining the Royal Family, Meghan was already familiar with being in the public eye and exhibited a high degree of confidence while stepping out with Harry," he says.

"At the time, Kate and William took great effort to ensure she felt welcome and part of the family and if we observe body language from their interactions back then, it was very much consistent with individuals that clearly shared a bond and got on very well.

"All four would regularly be seen matching and mirroring each other’s gesture and posture. This is an unconscious process which happens when people make a connection and build a rapport. It’s a sign of reciprocated trust on a non-verbal level."

Sadly, that bond seems to have been—if not broken—at least fairly damaged in recent months.