Hello and thank you for coming back, my Body Language Buddies!
Today, in Episode 36, the big question is: How William and Kate project so much chemistry
with so few public displays of affection?
And to solve this riddle, we will be looking at them...
eating ice cream.
Yeah, plain old ice cream, and we'll discover all the body language clues about their relationship
and why do they look so comfortable with each other.
And yes, they have shown quite a few public displays of affection over the years, and
you will learn what to look for in photos when you want to know the health of a relationship.
But that's not all.
We'll also watch a clip from William and Kate's engagement interview.
There's something I want to show you.
In this episode, you will discover:
- Something about the way that Kate looks at William that confirms that she's in love
with him,
- The three most important clues that you have to be aware of when you look at a couple's
photos, and
- One fascinating difference between William and Kate's handshakes.
Remember that I've got a gift for you: my 100+ body language tips in a free PDF that
you can find right in the description.
And thank you, thank you for supporting my Episodes!
It helps me a lot if you just like this video, subscribe and comment on which other couples
you'd like me to analyze.
My Name is Jesús Enrique Rosas, I'm the Body Language Guy, and together we'll uncover the
secrets that people try to hide from us.
Kate Middleton and Prince William have known each other since they were in college and
have been married since 2011.
You might have noticed that they seldom show affection in public.
And you guessed right: Royal etiquette is the reason why there are so few romantic photos
of them.
As long as there are cameras nearby, they represent the British monarchy.
Limiting their public displays of affection might very well be a secret rule of being
part of the Royal family.
Now, you know what?
We're going to squeeze water from a stone.
Let's decode their body language when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited an Ice
Cream Parlor in Wales.
The first thing you notice is that they seem a bit shy with the warm welcome:
(001)
Kate uses her purse as a shield, she strokes her own arm, and she's not totally upright.
William, at the same time, uses his hands to cover both his heart and his belly.
All these are gestures of defensiveness and nervousness.
Notice that all these gestures happen when they are not close together.
Interestingly, throughout the video, these signals tend to subside as if they both feel
more confident when they come closer.
This is a common characteristic in healthy relationships: they feel at ease when sharing
personal space.
(002)
Even as they enter the ice cream parlor, their smiles are not complete yet.
They don't feel safe or totally comfortable.
And it happens in both of them at the same time.
You can see that their facial expressions almost match each other.
That's another exciting feature about couples: Body language synchronicity.
Sometimes, couples have different facial expression baselines.
The man could be more expressive than the woman or vice versa.
Still, when they're synchronized, their emotional reactions will be analogous.
In this case, both William and Kate have the same facial response to the situation.
There's always the joke about one person finishing the other's sentences, and just the same happens
in body language.
(003)
Just twenty seconds in, and you can spot that even if their hands still show defensive gestures,
their face muscles are way more relaxed than before, and they present full smiles.
Now it's your turn to become the body language analyst.
You're going to watch a clip that shows both Kate's and William's handshakes.
You will try to silence your rational mind and try to absorb the meaning only with your
intuition.
Ready?
Here we go:
How would you describe the difference between their handshakes? by the way, those handshakes
confirm an intriguing fact about their relationship.
The answer, at the end of this video.
Any coincidence in a couple's nonverbal expression literally tells you how connected they are
to each other.
It's easy to miss because it almost falls outside the frame, but look how William interlocks
his fingers, and Kate does the same a few seconds later.
One is mirroring the other.
In some cases, this is called rapPORT and empathy.
In this case, we're talking about a couple in sync with each other and feel safe hanging
out together.
But check the following clip and try to spot what's so special about Kate looking at William:
There's a very tiny secret in her eyes that I know you're picking up, but maybe you have
a hard time figuring out what it is.
First, Kate is turning her head and her body towards William.
That's a sign of connection and warmth.
We've seen those couples that barely look at each other's eyes when they talk, much
less turn their heads.
But Kate also displays full, genuine smiles when talking to him.
She seems genuinely happy to be there.
"But Jesus," You might be asking.
"They have cameras all around them; of course, they are going to behave like that."
Yes, but there's the clue of true love in Kate's eyes: they drift from William's eyes
to his nose and mouth.
Anyone can fake their posture and smile or try to act for the cameras.
But those quick eye movements over William's face are authentic displays of affection,
even more profound than a public kiss.
The more subtle clues of affection are also harder to spot, yes, but at the same time,
those are the least likely to be faked.
And speaking of subtle displays of affection, There's also William's gesture as they are
getting out of the shop.
He puts his hand on her back.
It's a small gesture, and that's precisely why it's relevant.
As we saw in Kate's eyes, it's the subtle cues that show how healthy a relationship
is.
How would you be able to tell if a couple is trying to fake that they feel good?
Well, it's going to be the extremes: either you don't see any clue at all, or you see
exaggerated displays of affection.
Now, there have been occasions when they show affection in public — whether it's a kiss
on the cheek, putting a hand on the other's back or even a lovely embrace.
Let's review some of them to discover what are the signs that you should be aware of
when looking at couples body language:
(001) Kate and William were friends in college, and they both graduated from the University
of St. Andrews in Scotland.
If you look at their body language in this pic, you see that they are both relaxed.
Their hands and fingers overlap, their smiles are open and relaxed, and their attitude is
of ease with one another.
While Kate and William first met in 2001, their relationship didn't turn romantic until
December 2003.
In fact, Kate was dating another guy when she met the prince.
They spent a lot of time together as friends and even shared a flat with two other pals
before dating.
That is something to be said about relationships in general.
When it becomes romantic, you need that strong foundation of friendship to help you endure
tough times later on.
That's confirmed by science: friendship plays a significant role in a couple's long-term
happiness.
Courtships and marriages that are successful are the 'best friend' ones just because they
begin slow and steady and unfold over time.
(002) Now here, at a sports event in 2006, he was seen kissing Kate in the cheek.
They also have their arms wrapped around each other.
Again, these displays of affection are nowhere near the intensity that we could see, for
example, in American celebrities.
Still, it's possible to notice their arms interlocked and at the same height, like a
mirror.
And that brings another characteristic of healthy relationships.
Although they clearly love being together, both have their own interests.
When William was concentrated on his military career, Kate focused on her fashion job and
her parents' business.
They both also made time for their own friends.
There's a huge mistake that both men and women can make.
They give up their interests to focus on their relationship.
And that never ends well.
In every relationship, there should be 'you, me, and we.' those three components are required
to maintain a healthy bond and avoid codependency relationships.
(003) Here's the famous kiss on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after their wedding at
Westminster Abbey in 2011.
He leans in purposefully.
You can see it in the playful energy they both display, even if we already know that
they are not that comfortable with so much exposure.
Anyway, I usually don't give much body language weight to these very public appearances because
people tend to be unusually tense.
And it's absolutely normal.
But then you could get a false body language reading if you don't take into account the
situation itself.
(004) this one was heading out on their honeymoon.
It's interesting to watch the difference in strides, and of course, it's due to Kate's
efforts to walk right by William's side.
It's well documented that they share a healthy love for competition, including sports, and
this is a hint of it.
There's a really fascinating clue in the way that they hold hands.
When a couple is holding hands, they almost always do one of two things: assume a neutral
hand posture with both thumbs pointing forward, or a more protective-possessive attitude from
the man, with his palm backward, covering hers.
But here we see the exact opposite of that gesture, as it's William's hand in an open
palm gesture, and in this case, is Kate the one dominating the hold.
That's another clue of the power balance between them and something you might have noticed
in that ice cream parlor handshake.
The royal couple faced a lot of public pressure to get engaged as soon as possible.
Kate was even dubbed "Waity Katie."
Of course, William's parents were quite fast in that process as Charles knew Princess Diana
for less than a year before he proposed.
Although we know how it went in the end.
But William held his ground and waited eight years to propose, and that gave them enough
time for Kate to understand what life was going to be like with him.
(005) Here, they shared a hug in Charlottetown, Canada.
Even with Kate's strong character, you notice that she has no problem getting near his neck;
that's a gesture of her wanting to be protected.
That's something that most women wish to; even if a woman can be perfectly on her own,
she will like to be with a man that makes her feel safe.
(009) There's again turning around, this time to see each other and getting close together.
You can clearly spot this in the picture.
It's like watching a perfect mirror.
It's undoubtedly true that a couple that laughs together stays together.
Both William and Kate said that they both have a good sense of humor about things, and
she's got habits that make him laugh.
That's what William told the British press in the couple's first interview after becoming
engaged.
(012) This is a cute photo holding hands after Kate giving birth to Princess Charlotte.
Notice how William's body is trying to be oriented at the middle between Kate and Charlotte,
and he's holding her hand very close to his body.
I had mentioned in another video how men tend to hold hands in a possessive or protective
way.
This often happens when their women have just given birth, and this is no exception.
(013) The following picture also caught my attention.
In 2016, Kate and William sat next to Canada's prime minister Justin Trudeau.
William was clearly engaged in a conversation with the politician, and Kate was distracted,
looking to one side.
It's her hands that speak two angles of the story.
First, her right hand is resting and relaxed, and that's a signal that she feels comfortable
sitting so close to her husband.
At the same time, she's got her left hand in his thigh, a very intimate gesture that
it's also a sign of possession.
There are so many ways to read this picture with such interesting body language clues,
but so far, it helps us reaffirm what we've seen so far.
But that closeness took time to mature.
In fact, the Royal couple distanced for two months in 2007.
Despite that, they felt that the time apart made their relationship closer.
In reality, a breakup can strengthen a relationship, as long as it's not later used as a weapon.
When William and Kate broke up, they didn't speak badly of one another or misbehave.
Kate demonstrated her loyalty by respecting their privacy and not talking to the press
about any personal issues.
That helped William realize that he could trust her.
This is another picture where we confirm the hand-holding gesture.
The couple was leaving St. Mary's Hospital after Kate had given birth to Prince Louis.
William again was protectively holding her hand.
(00C) I think one of the best pictures that serve as an example of how a couple can feel
comfortable with one another is this one.
That's an absolute and complete embrace, they have full smiles, and their bodies are relaxed.
There's another essential clue in this photo, that is the mutual neck show.
Our neck is a very intimate part of our body, and showing it when we are close to our partner
is a signal of affection and trust.
Something very similar happens in this other picture where Kate's got her head absolutely
relaxed and displaying her neck in full while she leans into him.
William, by the way, is not only leaning towards her but also showing a natural smile.
When you're reading a couple's body language, there are usually dozens of signals coming
and going.
The most important strategy is to focus on the most straightforward clues first: body
orientation, the way their walking cycles match, and how their bodies point to each
other.
Then, you can switch to the less obvious clues, such as mirroring each other, showing vulnerability,
or the way they smile together.
And I haven't even mentioned how important it is to pay attention to the way they speak
of each other, how they talk about emotions, and their mutual reactions.
Couple behavior is fascinating and helpful because you can spot how comfortable your
partner feels, whether they are tense about something or even if they are cheating.
Now there's their engagement interview with Tom Bradby, where he asks a compelling question.
She's entering a life in the public domain; How has William prepared her and her family
for this?
Pay attention to his answer:
"Massively so.
Of course.
(Kate) and her family, I really want to make sure they have the best sort of guidance and
chance to see what life has been like or what life is like in the family, and that's kind
of almost why I have been waiting this long; as I wanted to give her a chance to see in
and to back out if she needed to before it all got too much..."
Here is where body language meets verbal expression and a fascinating blend of human behavior.
William knows how important it is that Kate and her family understood the full scope of
what they were getting into.
He talks about it seriously but still adds some very subtle humor to it, and Kate picks
it up.
That's another signal of a great relationship.
When even if you're in the spotlight and talking about serious topics, you're able to juggle
facts without taking yourself so seriously.
And the fact that they both can speak at ease in both dimensions tells a lot about their
bond.
Her smile is a spontaneous reaction to his joke of "backing off."
That's another clue that you should always pay attention to when you're looking at couples'
body language.
How they both react to the words and actions of each other.
When two people feel comfortable with each other, you'll see that their expressions and
reactions blend with each other.
There are few surprises because their body language just flows naturally.
And the answer to today's riddle, what did you spot with their handshakes?
The most important part of a handshake is how complete is the contact between both hands.
Kate's handshake is full and firm, in contrast with William's.
In my opinion, both should have equally solid handshakes, and William has likely been thoroughly
trained in body language and diplomatic behavior.
But that confirms that Kate has a healthy competitive attitude, showing how she greets
people.
One more thing:
- There's a story that goes around that you had a picture of him on your wall.
- There wasn't just one, there was about 20.
- He wishes.
No, I had the Levis guy on my wall, not a picture of William, sorry.
- It was me in Levis, honestly.
Remember that I've got a gift for you!
My 100+ body language tips that you can download as a free PDF right in the description.
And don't forget to subscribe if you don't want to miss any of my Body Language Episodes
and Tips.
See you Next Time!