Princess Kate and Queen Camilla may not be royal by blood, but since solidifying their nuptials to their respective partners they have fulfilled two of the highest-ranking roles within The Firm.
While they often step out alongside King Charles and Prince William, Kate and Camilla are rarely spotted in close conversation with one another during royal engagements. And unlike their relationships with less senior members of the family, public showcases of their bond are sparse.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, royal body language expert, Judi James analysed the peculiar dynamics between the Princess of Wales and her step-mother-in-law.
She said: “Kate and Camilla are two very different royal women, making them an unlikely duo for any strong bonding.
“There seems to be a natural six degrees of separation between the two, with them often communicating (if at all) around William or other royals.”
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While it was expected that the Princess of Wales and Queen Consort would operate separately at the Coronation, the pair have rarely been spotted in direct conversation with one another in recent months.
This may be down to royal custom, but according to Judi, it is also indicative of the different qualities they possess having married into the regal bloodline.
She explained: “Kate has worked hard to create a very strong sense of royal charisma and has taken small but deft steps as a mother, wife and future Queen, to get every detail right.
“She is currently at peak confidence, showing sporting skills and fearlessness as well as a talent for performing, either behind a grand piano or in front of a TV camera and autocue, and her quiet but firm sense of power pitches her as a natural matriarch figure in the royal Firm.”
Camilla, on the other hand, has always looked happiest and most comfortable as a “plus one” to Charles.
Judi added: “Her body language had shown her to be primarily his strength and support and, unlike Kate, her confidence levels dip rather than strengthen in the spotlight or under pressure.”
Of course, these key differences are a direct reflection of their personalities but also have a bearing on how well the pair bode as friends and relatives in private settings, the expert claimed.
The body language expert said: “Kate and Camilla’s greeting rituals at the 2022 Christmas service suggested mutual delight. Both held their arms out as an announcement gesture for a truncated hug and Kate’s mouth fell open in surprised delight.
“But this was a three-line-whip event, with the top-level Firm members wanting to look united and strong after Prince Harry‘s various comments.”
Judi pointed out that for many years, it has been clear that the Princess of Wales’s “priority” has always been to “broker peace” in what has been a “disunited family”.
With this in mind, it is likely that Kate’s polite interactions with Camilla should be taken at face value, as Judi noted that it would be “totally out of character” for her to “show any rift if there were one”.
Though the Queen Consort may not possess the same confidence that Kate is known for, her body language talent lies in her ability to “project warmth”, according to the expert.
Similar to the Queen Mother, who was known for her “sweet smile”, Camilla interacts with the Princess of Wales through more subtle actions.
Judi explained: “Perhaps the most telling example of this came when Queen Elizabeth II was alive and Camilla and Kate accompanied her to the Eden Project in 2021.
“The late Queen decided to cut the cake with a sword and Camilla clearly became agitated beside her, while the Duchess of Cambridge watched calmly, clearly aware that Charles’s mother knew exactly what she was doing.
“Camilla used several tie-signs to get Kate’s attention and ended up nudging her as though wanting her to step in.
“But Kate ignored her, stepping deftly to one side and clutching her bag with both hands, clearly aware that nobody should ever treat the Queen as anything other than a woman who knows exactly what she is doing.”
