Kate Middleton was in Denmark for a two-day visit, and she obviously couldn't stop off in a kingdom without dropping in to see the local royal family.
As such, the Duchess of Cambridge—dressed in a very elegant gray wool coat by Catherine Walker—went on an official engagement with Denmark's Princess Mary, and visited Queen Margrethe II at Christian IX's Palace.
The photos of the duchess and Princess Mary are especially joyful—showing them being super pally and comfortable with each other. I'm especially obsessed with this one, where the princess seems to be letting her British counterpart in on some drama, which makes her laugh her head off. Like, can I gossip with these two?
"Both Kate and Mary were later seen attending an engagement together and the similarities between the two women is quite striking both physically and in terms of how they display the same sense of gravitas," body language expert Darren Stanton tells Marie Claire on behalf of Betfair Casino.
"As they walked across the courtyard together, Kate and Mary were completely in sync when it came to their feet placement, their pace and even when both were waving to onlookers—this matching and mirroring is representative of the bond the two share. This level of connection was also visible when Kate and Mary were seen embracing one another, with both happy to have the other close within their proximal zones and personal space.
"I believe the pair have struck up a very genuine friendship and have a great amount of respect for each other’s position and authority. Overall, it’s clear to see that Kate is going to be very well received by the public overseas."
The two queens-in-waiting, 40 and 50, visited Danner Crisis Center and shelter together, which helps women and children survivors of domestic violence.
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The two women also headed together to Christian IX's Palace, one of the palaces in Amalienborg Castle, to meet with Queen Margrethe II. Here, too, relations seemed very smooth—with all three women looking like they very much enjoyed one another's company.
"Immediately it’s clear to see that Kate, Queen Margarethe and Crown Princess Mary have struck up a great rapport, with the three royals adopting similar postures when pictured together during Kate’s recent welcome," Stanton said.
"In some of the photographs, when Kate is in the presence of Queen Margarethe she is seen standing with her hands clasped together in front of her body—this is a slightly subservient gesture to show respect for the Queen. It’s a subconscious gesture by Kate to show that she acknowledges Queen Margarethe is the most powerful person in the room.
"Similarly, video footage of the royals entering the room together during Kate’s welcome suggests the Queen has taken a shine to Kate as she was seen warmly gesturing Kate into position alongside her and smiling fondly as they all took their place in line.
"There have also been some great moments where Crown Princess Mary is seen displaying completely genuine facial expressions when she is smiling and laughing within Kate’s company.
"This sense of sincere emotion shared between the three Royal figures suggests that Kate is having a very successful visit and both Queen Margarethe and Crown Princess Mary have developed a great connection with the future British monarch."
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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