Kate Middleton Portrays Self In Public Like Princess Anne After Earning Place in Royal Fold

Kate Middleton has drawn a surprising comparison to Princess Anne, one of the royal family's hardest-working members. A body language expert weighed in on how the Princess of Wales carried herself after returning to her royal duties following her cancer battle, noting that the future queen consort was reportedly more confident.

Apparently, there's a distinct change in Middleton's wardrobe and demeanour when out in public. And the evolution reportedly suggests a deliberate move away from the glamour-focused narratives of her early years towards a reputation defined by duty.

Kate Middleton 'Very Similar' To Princess Anne

Body language expert Darren Stanton spoke with Royal Insider on behalf of Betfair Casino. According to him, Prince William's wife 'hasn't always been super confident.' However, over a decade after joining the royal family, the Duchess of Cambridge has developed the confidence in representing the monarchy.

According to Stanton, she wears red outfits 'to feel powerful and strong.' The expert also compared how Middleton and the Princess Royal interact with the public.

'She believes she has earned her place,' Stanton continued. 'It's very similar to the way Princess Anne portrays herself in public. There are a lot of similarities between them as they always maintain eye contact and display strong posture when on duty.'

The body language expert also pointed out the similarities in Middleton and Princess Anne's 'external gestures and communication skills,' which reportedly show that 'they feel empowered and dominant.'

Key Differences In Approach

Middleton being compared to Princess Anne may be surprising to some, as their personal approaches to royal life were very different a few years ago. Princess Anne is known for her nonsense and blunt reputation, with minimal concern for public image, while Middleton is known for her warmth and approachable persona.

Princess Anne, herself, is aware of how the younger royals present themselves differently in public. For instance, unlike Middleton, she doesn't shake hands with anyone during walkabouts. 'The theory was that you couldn't shake hands with everybody, so don't start. So I kind of stick with that, but I notice others don't,' Princess Anne said (via Hello!).

Princess Anne noted that she wasn't saying doing so was 'wrong.' However, they had this 'initial concept' where they found it 'patently absurd to start shaking hands.'

Also, Middleton embraces soft diplomacy through fashion, unlike Anne's frugal recycling of decades-old garb. Kate's polished visuals suit modern expectations; Anne prioritises function over flair.

'She's Learned'

Although some rules within the royal fold have seemingly changed, Middleton has navigated her way successfully. According to royal author Robert Jobson, the Princess of Wales 'understood' her duty from the start, unlike her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, and sister-in-law, Meghan Markle.

'She's learned the difference between tradition and theatre. [Princess] Diana never learned it and Meghan [Markle] refused to accept it,' Jobson told the Sun. 'The institution doesn't work for you. You work for it, and serve it well and it gives you purpose. Fail and it discards you. Catherine understood this from the start.'

Middleton celebrated her 44th birthday on Friday, 9 January. The Princess of Wales marked her special day by sharing a video on Instagram as part of the Mother Nature series, reflecting on her healing journey.

'The Mother Nature series has been a deeply personal, creative reflection on how nature has helped me heal,' Middleton wrote. She added that 'there's so much we can learn from mother nature, as we look to build a happier, healthier world.'