The Duchess of Cambridge makes "quite a flirtatious gesture" towards Prince William in their Christmas card photo, a body language expert has said.
The couple has released the gorgeous image that features on their 2021 card and shows them relaxing on holiday in Jordan earlier this year alongside their young children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The shot, which has a sun-kissed backdrop, sees a beaming Kate and William place a tender hand on each other's knees while George and Charlotte sit on either side of their parents. Louis sits cross-legged in front of his mum.
And according to body language expert Darren Stanton, Kate placing her hand on her husband's knee is a "significant part" of the photo.
He tells Coffee Friend : "It’s quite a flirtatious gesture for any photo - especially one that depicts a r oyal family and the future of the monarchy.
"If anything, it reinforces the love the couple have for one another and William shows his approval by placing his hand on Kate’s leg.
"Such a personal move, almost restricted for romantic partners, again displays just how in sync the pair are as they match and mirror each other perfectly."
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Meanwhile, Darren also notes that the image shows the family were genuinely enjoying a "very happy time" on their travels and that Princess Charlotte may have a different personality from her siblings.
He adds: "The first thing that strikes me about the photo is that everybody pictured is flashing a genuine smile - so often in photographs, no matter how important the person being photographed is, fake smiles are shown and faces can seem very disingenuous.
"In this particular picture, everyone is displaying genuine emotion, which would suggest it’s a very happy time for the family right now.
"Kate always flashes a great smile, her whole face is engaged and her crow’s feet - the three lines at the side of the eyes - are visible, which denotes a genuine smile and it is congruent with how open and inviting the rest of her body language is.
"Her maternal intuition beams through, as she has her hand on the back of Prince George in a reassuring way.
"While the two princes, George and Louis, have adopted the same pose and position with their arms and legs - mirroring each other, Princess Charlotte sits with a slightly more turned posture suggesting she has a different personality to her siblings."
And Darren says the choice of this snap could give an insight into how William and Kate see their place in the monarchy - especially as last year's card was so different.
He explains: "Kate and Will’s choice in photo could be anyone’s holiday family snap. It signifies that the royal couple are going to be very much their own people.
"While they still make sure to be respectful of royal protocols in place, they show a keenness to bring the monarchy into the 21st Century and establish a more personal connection with the public and the public with them."
