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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Entertainment
Judi James & Louise Randell

Prince William 'relieved to have chosen perfect match' Kate, says body language expert


Prince William looks "relieved" to have found his "perfect match" in his wife Kate in their new 10th anniversary portraits, according to body language expert Judi James.

The couple are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary, and they've released a series of pictures showing them as a couple a decade on from their big day.

In the snaps, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, 39, looks happy and relaxed as she snuggles up to husband William, 38, and Judi reveals their gestures show them to be a couple who have grown closer and appear to be very much in love.

Looking back at the couple's previous portraits, released to mark their engagement in 2010, Judi explains how the couple have grown over time.

She told the Mirror: "One of the greatest 'tells' in terms of body language is the effect someone's non-verbal signals has on their audience.

"It's often how we feel as we look at a pose that is the most revealing factor, and it's this 'projection effect' that is the most telling as we get to take a long look at William and Kate's 'before-and-after' poses on their 10th anniversary.

William and Kate look like 'a couple you'd want to invite over for a BBQ' (CAMERA PRESS/Chris Floyd)

"In the early photos we can see a couple looking excited and in love, whether they're snuggling up using head closeness to signal cute levels of affection or following royal tradition with a much more formal look that is all about elegant sophistication and high status.

"The couple look blissfully happy together but rather distanced from the audience. William's mouth-smile is wide but his eyes look slightly wary, not of Kate but of the camera and the attention.

"There is a rigidity of arm and hand positioning that suggests William will be pleased when the session is over and he has Kate to himself again.

The couple in their engagement portrait back in 2010 (Getty Images)

"For a man so desperate to avoid all the problems that dogged his mother and her marriage, William looks cautious here and careful to do his royal duty but mindful that inviting interest can result in a payback. It’s a couple you would like and admire, but from a respectful distance."

However, Judi reveals there have been plenty of changes to the pair over the last 10 years and they now look like a couple anyone would like to invite over for a cheeky BBQ.

She went on: "The couple in the most recent photos though are people you'd want in your social bubble, popping in for drinks around the BBQ.

"Happy and incredibly relaxed together, they look like they'd be the best fun. Some couples grow apart during a decade of marriage but William and Kate's body language suggests they have grown closer and learned to enjoy life openly and with confidence."

Another engagement portrait showed them looking much more relaxed (Getty Images)

Judi goes on to reveal William has changed the most, now looking more relaxed and confident, seemingly happy to have found his "perfect match" in Kate.

She added: "The biggest change is in William who seems to have stepped off his royal pedestal to smile in what looks like relief (and even disbelief) that he chose so well and is now sharing his life and his royal destiny with a perfect match for both himself and his country.

"His wary eye expression has gone and instead his eyes narrow so much in happiness as he looks straight at the camera that we can barely see the pupils.

"William is now sharing the fun and sharing the sight of his love with everyone and that has a much more inclusive effect on us, the audience.

The 10th anniversary pictures show them as a happy couple who have grown together (CAMERA PRESS/Chris Floyd)

"Ten years ago they looked in love and Kate’s smile showed excitement at the thought of the wedding.

"Now they look in love and in the middle of a life of shared, playful fun where William has been able to drop his reserve and his ego and enjoy the fact that he and Kate are a solid working team as well as a mutual support system.

"We now see a much more confident Kate who looks comfortable in her currently high-powered role in the Firm and we can see William gazing at her with an expression of something bordering on awe, showing us nothing but respect between them, with no trace of jealousy or battles for the spotlight.

"Once they looked stunning together, now they still stun but they also look real and super-relaxed."

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