As the Platinum Jubilee comes to a close today, we’ve seen four days’ worth of Kate Middleton’s confidence, poise, and elegance as she prepares to one day become Queen Consort.
According to body language expert Judi James, speaking to The Sun, Kate stepped up in particular in the Queen’s absence at Friday’s Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral, taking over the royal presence during the ceremony. James said that the body language of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made them “look like the future king and queen” and that Kate “looked quite firm, as if she’s starting to take the lead.”
“She walked in first, waved to the crowds first,” James said. “She threw a glance in St. Paul’s at William, and she nodded her head forward like she was steeling him to do the walk out past his brother.”
James said Kate radiates confidence, especially in situations like the Service of Thanksgiving.
“She seems to come into her own at events like this,” she said. “She takes over the regal presence without the Queen there.”
For his part, James said Prince William looked “joyful and upbeat” during the ceremony.
And, just hours after the Service of Thanksgiving, The Mirror reports that Kate made a secret visit to a pediatric intensive care unit at Evelina Children's Hospital in South London, where she spoke to parents, patients, and staff unable to take part in the Platinum Jubilee festivities.
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“We received a very special surprise last night!” the hospital wrote on Twitter. “Our Patron, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, dropped in for a private visit to meet our patients, families, and staff unable to join in the celebrations this weekend. Luckily the hospital was already decked with Platinum Jubilee decorations made by some of the children and young people we are caring for. Thank you YRH for thinking of us.”
Now that sounds quite regal, indeed.
Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
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