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Prince William and Kate Middleton don’t need to say a word to know what the other is thinking. When they’re in front of cameras greeting crowds or taking part in royal family traditions, the Prince and Princess of Wales can, per a body language expert, fall back on their “secret method of communicating.” However, it’s not so secret. All William and Kate have to do is look at each other. 

William and Kate communicate silently with ‘eye contact’ 

Having much of their relationship play out in front of cameras, William and Kate “have developed a secret method of communicating with each other whilst attending official engagements when many eyes are upon them,” Darren Stanton, a body language expert, told Mirror, speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino.

“Kate’s confidence has grown dramatically in recent years,” he said. However, she hasn’t always been entirely at ease in the spotlight. 

Kate officially became a British royal in April 2011 when she married William after nearly a decade of dating. 

“When Kate was first introduced as a public figure, we would see her play with her hair a lot and look to William for support during joint interviews or events,” Stanton said. 

William, who’d grown up under the glare of the royal spotlight, also needed a little “reassurance.”

“We would see this from William, too, as they both wanted reassurance from each other,” he shared. “There’s a sense they weren’t very confident early on, and looking into each other’s eyes was their way of checking in with each other. They both wanted to feel at ease.”

Kate now has a ‘subtle confidence’ whether she has William there to talk to in ‘secret’ or not

Stanton continued, looking at Kate’s more recent body language indicating signs of “subtle confidence.” 

“In more recent years, Kate hasn’t shown any signs of nervousness or a need for reassurance from William,” the expert said, noting her “confidence has grown massively.” 

“We get a sense she’s happy to be there and wants to prove she’s here to get on with her job. She has an inner strength and is very motivated to do the best she can.”

“This is shown through holding her head high, being active in conversations, and engaging in strong eye contact with people she’s never met before,” he explained. 

Kate’s confidence isn’t “overwhelming.” Instead, she’s known to make “strong eye contact with anyone she’s communicating with and never comes across as slouched.” 

Another indicator of Kate’s confidence and no longer need to visually check in with William is that the 42-year-old mother of three “rarely crosses her arms,” a gesture not common among royals

“That is normally a giveaway of someone feeling out of place with a lack of confidence,” Stanton concluded. 

William and Kate do have the occasional argument 

In private, the Prince and Princess of Wales sometimes have a much different way of communicating. According to Tom Quinn, the author of Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family, the couple periodically have “terrific rows” or arguments.   

Their marriage isn’t “perfect,” and, as such, “William and Kate throw cushions at each other” while arguing, he told Express. 

However, when communications get particularly heated, William and Kate keep things “under control” by turning to the royal family’s “never complain, never explain” motto.  

William “adopts the manners and ways of behaving of his grandmother,” the late Queen Elizabeth II.  Meanwhile, “Kate is very good at not complaining.” 

As a result, “They very rarely complain, and when they do, it’s always in measured terms.” 

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