Kate Middleton's 'special relationship' with King Charles as they're 'tuned in' to each other

(Image credit: RICHARD POHLE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images/Future)

last updated 14 November 2022

While Kate Middleton and her father-in-law, King Charles III, are rarely photographed together, a body language expert has shared that the pair clearly have a "special" relationship.

While the average 'in-law' relationship is a notoriously tricky one, according to a body language expert, King Charles III and his daughter-in-law Kate Middleton are good friends.
The expert also claims that Kate and Charles 'are tuned in to each other,' with the King being more relaxed with Kate than his own wife, Camilla.
In other royal news, Meghan Markle reportedly wants to give Kate Middleton a whole ‘episode to herself’ on her podcast, Archetypes.

For many, an outing with the in-laws is an event to be dreaded, but when you're a royal, trips out with the parents are unavoidable. King Charles, Camilla Queen Consort, Prince William and Kate Middleton are often spotted together, whether it's attending routine royal engagements or heading off to star-studded events.

After studying photos of the four, a body language expert has highlighted the close friendship Kate and Charles seem to share, with the expert calling their relationship "special."

Body language expert Judi James told The Express, "Kate and Charles do seem to have a rather special relationship that shows up visibly in public as the pair seem to single each other out for attention and empathetic signalling.

Camilla, King Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton

"Their body language together suggests they are tuned in to each other, using flattery and mirroring signals to show some like-minded thinking or appreciation of a joke."

Judi also noted that Camilla often appears less relaxed than Kate and does not laugh at Charles' jokes as much as the Princess.

She said, "Charles has the perfect audience in Kate, who is always very relaxed about performing her laughing rituals in a way that Camilla is not. Charles loves to be the comedian and with Kate he will see an appreciative, open-mouthed laugh with nose-wrinkling to signal shared humour.

"This bonding often leads to some cross-fire body language where we can see Kate and Charles catching one another’s eye or communicating across Camilla, who seems to stay out of the way. Kate appears less close to Camilla, bypassing her to chat with her father-in-law instead."

Judi also claims that Kate is not only close to Charles, but has always had the ability to communicate and build relationships with many male members of the Royal Family. She said, "Charles looks rather entranced by his daughter-in-law, who has really cracked the code when it comes to dealing with the notoriously difficult Windsor men.

"She was equally close to Harry before the split, and her blend of flattery combined with a degree of firmness, backed up by her competitive traits and a desire to keep the royal Firm on its tracks, seems like an ideal blend to win Charles' approval."

While Kate has always appeared as a strong and confident woman, her confidence is something that has heightened since taking on the role of Princess of Wales. Judi explained the possible reason behind this, saying, "Part of this ‘stepping up’ could be caused by the new Queen’s lack of confidence and a lack of desire to be in the spotlight.

"Camilla is very much her husband’s support act primarily, and she can look uncomfortable when she is in her royal role. This might have nudged Kate into the strong position she holds now, both inside and outside the Royal Firm."

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Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.