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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Emma Rosemurgey

Kate Middleton's subtle hand gesture proves her changing attitude towards royal life

In the decade-and-a-bit since she married into the royal family, the Duchess of Cambridge has successfully established herself as a senior royal in her own right - and a very popular one at that.

Kate looks like a natural as she carries out her royal duties with confidence and a huge smile on her face, but her position hasn't always been so comfortable.

In her early days as a royal, the Duchess was understandably a lot more reserved and cautious - never veering too far away from husband Prince William.

However, according to a body language expert, Kate's shyness bears striking resemblance to another member of the royal family when she was in the spotlight - her late mother-in-law Princess Diana.

Kate hasn't always been so confident in her position as a royal (Getty Images)

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Darren Stanton told Marie Claire magazine: "Kate was arguably more reserved when she was first thrown into the spotlight several years ago.

"She behaved in a similar way Princess Diana did when she first got engaged to Prince Charles. Kate would always stay very close to William and continuously look towards him to seek his approval and reassurance."

Kate seems like a natural at royal events (PA)

Stanton said it's "very clear" Kate is now less reliant on William while out in public, and can often be seen "maintaining a subtle distance" from her husband to prove she's more than capable of doing it on her own.

In the past, Kate could be seen positioning her hands in front of her, which is "another self-reassuring gesture which signifies feelings of anxiousness." But, these days, the Duchess is regularly seen "making what is known as open palm gestures," which signifies confidence, openness, genuineness and honesty.

"The difference in how she holds her hands during engagements suggest that she has grown into the large shoes that come with being an established member of the Royal Family," Stanton concluded.

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