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Prince William and the Princess of Wales’ (formerly known as Kate Middleton) three children have been growing up right before our eyes and with Prince Louis recently turning 5, the couple shared two photos of their youngest son. But as a body language expert pointed out, there’s something different from this birthday portrait than others the Palace released in the past.

Here’s what the expert spotted that could convey a bittersweet message about Kate and her youngest son.

Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Prince Louis leaving church service on Christmas Day
Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Prince Louis leaving church service on Christmas Day | DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images

What a body language expert saw in Prince Louis’s birthday photo

Body language expert Judi James, who analyzed the birthday photo of Louis grinning as his mom pushes him in a wheelbarrow, told Express that while Kate is all smiles as well it’s a “poignant” moment for her.

According to James, “This looks like such a sweetly telling shot with some underlying hints of poignancy as Kate watches her youngest child begin to grow up and become increasingly independent. Kate has chosen to lean into shot, pushing Louis in a wheelbarrow and although this is clearly part of a game they are both enjoying there are enough poignant echoes of the days when she was pushing him in a pram [stroller] to suggest she might be quietly reluctant to see her third and possibly last child grow up too soon.”

The expert added: “One striking body language point is that Kate is in the birthday pose with her adored son Louis, when she has previously tended to be behind the camera in her children’s celebratory snaps, meaning George, Charlotte, and Louis have always been reacting directly to her rather than any external prompting. Louis, though, is looking away and smiling rather than at the camera, which is in keeping with his signature levels of social confidence and playfulness.”

The Princess of Wales usually takes the birthday portraits of her children

As James mentioned, Kate being in her son’s birthday picture is a departure from the usual in which she is behind the camera taking the photo.

In 2022, Kate took not only Louis but also his siblings’ birthday pics. She snapped an adorable photo of Princess Charlotte for her 7th birthday in May 2022. The little princess smiled for the camera in a field of bluebells near the family’s Norfolk country home, Anmer Hall. Two months later, Kate shared a sweet snap of Prince George which was taken during a family vacation on a beach. In the pic, a beach along with water can be seen in the background as the future king is smiling wide in a light blue shirt with a black watch on his wrist.

On April 21, 2023, the palace shared another birthday picture captured by the Princess of Wales.

The photo is of the late Queen Elizabeth with several of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren taken in 2022 at Balmoral Castle. It was released on what would have been the queen’s 97th birthday.

Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds