Princess Kate Is "Investing Emotionally" and Having More Fun in Her Royal Role as Her "Personal Evolution" Is on Display

Princess Kate wearing a red suit and laughing holding a book; Princess Kate wearing a maroon suit sitting at a table and laughing

(Image credit: Getty Images)

It's been nearly 15 years since Prince William married Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey, and since then, the Princess of Wales has displayed her growth as a member of the Royal Family. Body language expert Darren Stanton previously shared how "Kate hasn’t always been super confident," but on Thursday, January 15, the future Queen commanded the room as she hosted members of the England women's rugby team at Windsor Castle.

Princess Kate shared plenty of laughs with members of the team at a reception, and Stanton—speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino—tells Marie Claire that the event was "a really strong example of how authentic Kate is."

"If you look closely at her facial expressions, you can see clear signs of genuine emotion," he says, noting that her expressions radiated "joy and happiness." Stanton adds that the footage from the event shows the royal "engaging with them on a real, human level."

Princess Kate wearing a red suit shaking hands with members of the England women's rugby team — Princess Kate greets members of the England women's rugby team on January 15.

Princess Kate wearing a red suit, holding a signed rugby jersey and talking to a player at Windsor Castle — The Princess of Wales is gifted with a signed jersey at the reception.

Stanton notes that Kate, who serves as patron of the English Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League, takes her role extremely "seriously."

"She isn’t just turning up out of obligation; she’s actively investing emotionally in the role, showing respect for the players and the sport, and making sure they feel valued and welcomed," he says. "There’s a very altruistic, selfless quality to her behavior—she genuinely wants others to have a positive experience."

Compared to when she first married into the Royal Family, Stanton says the rugby reception shows her growth. "What’s especially interesting is how much this reflects her personal evolution," he says. "That level of ease and assurance has taken 15 years to develop, and you can really see how comfortable she now is in her role. "

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.