Princess Kate has been praised as the Royal Family's "natural matriarch" after her stoic appearance at the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph on Sunday. The Princess of Wales joined King Charles, Queen Camilla and Prince William for the emotional service in London, as the country fell silent to honour the war dead.
A Calming Presence on the Balcony
As the King, the Prince of Wales, Prince Edward and Princess Anne were led out to Whitehall to stand at the Cenotaph, Kate, Camilla, Duchess Sophie and the Duke of Kent watched on from the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Kate, dressed in a black coat and hat, and earrings belonging to the late Princess Diana, was seen bowing her head in a moment of silent reflection during the poignant service.
According to body language expert Judi James, Kate's stoicism has become a rock for the entire Royal Family, and drew parallels between the Princess of Wales and the late Queen Elizabeth. Judi told the Express: "Over the past few years of drama and scandal for the royal Firm, [Catherine] has emerged as their natural matriarch."
"[Kate is] a calming presence who appears to project the kind of signals of continuity and resilience that the late Queen was known for, and this role was more than illustrated by her body language, charisma and signals here today," the expert added.
Support for Queen Camilla and Prince William
The Princess of Wales's caring nature was on display as the service began as she offered a warm, reassuring smile to a slightly tense-looking Queen Camilla when they first appeared on the balcony together. William also received his wife's quiet support as he laid his poppy wreath at the monument in Whitehall alongside the King.
The body language expert observed that Kate gazed down at her husband with a hint of a smile, in a moment of pride and approval. "Before it was broken by Camilla, though, [Kate's] intense gaze down at William suggested a message of silent unity with her husband," the expert said. "She is a very visible presence on the balcony and this gesture suggests she is, in spirit at least, beside William as part of the ceremony she is watching."
During the service, William - wearing the uniform of a Lieutenant Colonel of the Household Cavalry with black cloak and sword - gave a salute to the Cenotaph after laying his wreath, adorned with the Prince of Wales feathers and also signed by Kate.
Prince Harry Attends Separate Service
Prince Harry and Meghan, who moved back to the UK in August, were not at the Cenotaph. Instead, Harry, who served a decade in the Army - including two tours in Afghanistan, was today spotted at a Remembrance service in the market town of Brackley in Northamptonshire.
The Duke of Sussex was seen alone, without Meghan, and wore a suit with a poppy and his service medals pinned to it, as he stood alongside locals paying their respects. An onlooker said: "He was at the memorial service - he was stood next to the pub. He was stood there watching and then afterwards he went into the market and started shaking everyone's hand. He was there for the whole service - we were there for 20 or 30 minutes, and he was there before us. He just wanted to show some respect. It is a shame. At the end of the day he's served so why can't he show his respects."
