10 March 2024 , 12:15
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Prince George is feeling "protective" of his mum Princess Kate but she is showing "no signs of frailty" in a new photo, says a body language expert.
The Princess of Wales, 42, shared a sweet snap this morning alongside her three kids to mark Mother's Day. It's understood to have been taken last week by Prince William, with his wife continuing to recover from abdominal surgery undertaken in January.
There has been much speculation about Kate's health as she has kept a low profile, having not been seen in public since Christmas. Buckingham Palace has given little away besides to confirm her op was not cancer-related and to say she is aiming to return to duties at Easter.
The new photo, posted on Kate and William's social channels, sees Kate surrounded by George, 10, Charlotte, eight, and Louis, five, on what appears to be an outdoor porch setting. Body language expert Judi James told the Mirror "at first glance" the snap looks like the "kind of style, pose and body language that we’ve seen from the Wales’s official photos before".
Princess Kate with her children Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte (PA)"But that makes it a remarkable non-verbal statement in itself as this comes in the wake of Kate’s operation and on-going recuperation, making it a reassuring message of continuity to the public," she continued. "Taken outside, and with Kate dressed in lace-up walking boots, jeans and a zip-up jacket, this photo seems to be showing us a glimpse of the energetic, active and fun-loving version of Kate that has been seen so many times before her operation.
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"There are thankfully no signs of frailty on display here. Her legs are crossed at the ankles making her appear active rather than keen to stay in her seat. Kate’s arms are around her two youngest children in a protective gesture and all three children look relaxed, with their open-mouthed laughter and smiles looking reasonably spontaneous and unforced.
The Wales family at Christmas during Kate's last public appearance (PA)"George has thrown a protective-looking two-armed clasp around his mother’s neck but it’s a pose he’s used before in photos with his father and it can often imply a desire to play. Kate’s eyes are direct to camera, meaning this is an ‘announcement’ pose to royal fans but as it’s William behind the camera it will also be a facial expression prompted by him, too.
"What we have is a warm, dimpled and very congruent-looking smile rather than the performed royal type of smile. What seems to be Kate’s body language ‘tell’ comes from her eye expression though.
"This is an eye-smile with a sparkle of excitement plus a sense of playfulness, to suggest that bond of fond humour that Kate and William have always shared is still very much in place."