Expert Says of Princess Kate’s Recent Transformation That “We Are Seeing the Real Kate Now”

Her revved up charisma matches that of a beloved royal family member that was anything but self-conscious.

Kate Middleton at a royal engagement
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Kate is busier than ever, and not only taking on more engagements since becoming Princess of Wales, but more solo engagements without her husband, Prince William. And busy though she may be, she has never appeared more confident and comfortable; her body language conveys that she is taking everything in stride and always remains “calm and professional,” body language expert Judi James said, per The Mirror.

Kate Middleton at a royal engagement

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Formerly “quiet and demure,” James said, Kate is now a force to be reckoned with. “The body language recently suggests we are seeing the real Kate now, glimpsing her innate ability to dominate a room with energy, authority, and enthusiasm,” she said. “Her poses were confidently splayed, with her feet apart and her jacket open, allowing more freedom of movement than some of her more formal coat dresses and skirts.” (James is not wrong—Kate has firmly entered her pantsuit era, as Marie Claire reported on yesterday.) 

Kate Middleton at a royal engagement

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Kate Middleton at a royal engagement

(Image credit: Getty Images)

James said that Kate was channeling the same energy as the late Prince Philip, who, like Kate will one day be, was consort to the monarch for almost all of Queen Elizabeth’s 70-year reign. Kate’s charisma as of late suggests that she has picked up on the late Duke of Edinburgh’s “energy and authority” while at work. (No one would ever accuse Philip of being insecure or unconfident.) “This suggests she’s not just coping without William working beside her, she’s thriving,” James said.

Rachel Burchfield
Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor

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.