I'm no body language expert, but even I could tell that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge looked super happy and in sync for their latest visit to Glasgow, Scotland.
Thankfully for my reputation, actual body language expert Darren Stanton agrees with me: This engagement really showed "the strength of their relationship," he says.
"The confidence in each other and their relationship was visible in how in sync the couple were as they stepped out together," Stanton tells Marie Claire on behalf of Slingo. "You’ll notice Kate and Will often match and mirror each other’s body position and gestures, like standing with their hands clasped in front and waving with one hand to the crowd, which represents the deep connection they share and the strength of their relationship."
The royal couple headed to Scotland to hear about various initiatives surrounding early childhood and mental health, two of the causes closest to their hearts.
For the occasion, the Cambridges showed their respect for the Scottish people by dressing in head-to-toe blue, which represents the sky and, according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, was likely chosen to deeply contrast the flag of England, which features a red cross of St. George.
Proving once again that monochrome is the new color-blocking (and taking a page from the Queen herself's fashion book), Kate Middleton wore a navy blue calf-length coat by one of her favorite designers, Catherine Walker (here is a similar design), a cornflower blue blouse by Cefinn (it's sold out in that specific color, but you can pre-order it), tailored navy pants and navy pointed pumps.
She accessorized with the same pearl earrings by Annoushka she has been wearing for years (a gift from her beloved, perhaps?), a black belt, and the little blue handbag from Parisian label Polène which she was also seen with at her previous engagement, while commemorating the victims of the Manchester attacks.
The Cambridges first visited a "Roots of Empathy" session at an elementary school. "How you guide children’s understanding of a baby’s needs and emotions is such a forward-thinking approach," they wrote on Instagram.
There, both royals looked completely in their element—but especially the duchess. "It was clear to see their parental side shining through, with Kate’s maternal instincts kicking in throughout the engagement, like when she read to a baby or stopped to interact with a group of young children—kneeling to ensure she was on their level," Stanton says.
He adds, "Keen to get stuck in, Kate kneeling and sitting with the children alongside William suggests how the royal couple are keen to do things their own way. We would never have seen the Queen adopt this pose or interact quite so closely with members of the public as she is a stickler for royal protocol, with her father instilling tradition in her from an early age."
After that, the Cambridges visited the University of Glasgow to talk to students about their mental health during exam season especially. They also went to the Wheatley Group, where they learned about the challenges of homelessness in the city and in Scotland generally.
"The support offered by the University of Glasgow, as well as the understanding and empathy of its students, has given us a real insight and emphasises the importance and value of talking about mental wellbeing especially during this #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek," they wrote on Instagram.
