Princess Charlotte Doesn’t Look to Older Brother Prince George to “Take the Lead”

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 25 June 2022

Princess Charlotte, 7, may be the younger sister of heir to the throne Prince George, 8—but it is she who appears to be the more confident one, a body language expert tells The Daily Express.

These “Charlotte in charge” moments—as this writer likes to refer to them—were on full display during the Platinum Jubilee, from Charlotte attempting to stop little brother Prince Louis, 4, from waving too much in the carriage procession at Trooping the Colour to correcting George’s posture on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.

Also that weekend Prince William, Kate Middleton, George, and Charlotte traveled to Wales, where the two eldest Cambridge kids shook hands with people in the crowd, who had gathered to meet them near Cardiff Castle.

George seemed a little shy to shake people’s hands, while Charlotte was more confident, a body language expert says.

“It’s pretty clear from their body language together on official events that William and Kate have been coaching their two eldest children in the art of smiling, waving, and handshaking,” Judi James told The Daily Express. “Although George and Charlotte still look a little reticent about instigating any shakes, they will timidly but happily join in a ritual that is more for adults than small children in the real world.”

And Charlotte doesn’t seem to need to follow the lead of her big brother, James says, as she acts without his lead or influence.

“Charlotte seems to know her own mind when it comes to these small formal acts, though,” she says. “She rarely, if ever, glances at George to suggest she is taking his lead.”

In fact, James says, it’s often Charlotte who is the leader.

“If anything, Louis tends to glance at her first for the lead when it comes to waving or clapping, and during the recent Jubilee celebrations we saw Charlotte very sweetly but firmly correct both her brothers: Louis for over-clapping and putting his fingers in his mouth, and George when he forgot to place his arms straight down at his sides when they stood on the balcony for the anthem.”

Charlotte, as the middle child and the only girl, has a unique position in the Cambridge brood, and “Charlotte seems to tell her brothers what to do at times, suggesting she is more confident than them,” The Daily Express reports.

It’s a confidence we love to see.

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.