Kate’s ‘gentle rebellion’, nod to the Queen plus 3 hidden messages in 43rd birthday snap, shared by body language expert

PRINCE William has shared a glamorous black-and-white shot of Princess Kate to celebrate her turning 43 today.

And according to body language expert Judi James, the Princess of Wales displayed “gentle rebellion” and “total personal confidence” in the stylish snap.

The sleek image shows the royal mum-of-three posing against a wall with her hands casually resting in her pockets.

Judi told Fabulous: “This very stylish monochrome pose could have come straight from a fashion spread but Kate has suffused it with hi-five nods and signals that express both her character, her current
emotional state and her intrinsic bonds of unique empathy with the late Queen.”

The expert pointed out that Princess Kate has mirrored the iconic image of the Queen putting her hands in her pockets.

She added: “The late Queen was ninety-three years old before she realised her dream of adopting some model-style poses for the camera.

“One gesture that had been banned on the grounds of being ‘unsuitable’ was the placing of her hands in her pockets.

“The expression of utter joy and excitement on the late Queen’s face as she broke her own mother’s rule and expressed herself in some Vogue-style poses looks mirrored by Kate here as she very emphatically places her hands into her jeans pockets in a way that seems to pay love and respect to one of the late Queen’s most indulgent, fun moments.

“You can imagine the late Queen getting the little joke that is created here by the mirroring here and maybe celebrating the fact that the next Queen in line won’t be as restrained by as many rules and regulations.”

Subtle signs

She added: “Kate’s sense of gentle rebellion and total personal confidence is created here by more than just her hand gesture though.

“She oozes a sense of strength and resilience in an outfit and a pose that is miles away from her more vulnerable-looking florals and reflective smiles.

“Her sleeves are, maybe not rolled but certainly folded, up in a gesture associated with being about to get stuck into a job, and her back is slightly arched to again suggest confidence and maybe optimism.”

Judi added that Kate is displaying a “naughty, playful” smile with her “one-crooked eyebrow”, that has been “made famous by Kylie Minogue and even David Beckham.”

Birthday wishes

The image was taken by photographer Matt Porteous and shows Kate standing tall, but looking relaxed, in Windsor last summer.

The royal opted for a laid back white blouse, blue jeans, black blazer, accessorized with a gingham scarf.

Proud Prince William wished Princess Kate a Happy Birthday after a turbulent 12 months for their family.

He wrote: “To the most incredible wife and mother.

“The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable. George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you.

“Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W”

Kate will mark her special day in Windsor with hubby Prince William, 42, and their children George, 11, Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Louis.

Royal expert Ingrid Seward told Fabulous that William is likely to buy Kate jewellery or take her on a special trip.

She [Kate] oozes a sense of strength and resilience in an outfit and a pose that is miles away from her more vulnerable-looking florals and reflective smiles

Judi Jamesbody language expert

She shared: “I would have thought a wonderful piece of jewellery to say, ‘I love you. You’re so brave. You’ve come through this,’ something to really commemorate the last year, which was so difficult, and look forward to having a better year this year.

“I’m certain there will be a big celebration later on today when the kids get back from school. They had their first day at school yesterday.”

It comes after the King led well-wishes on social media earlier this morning.

King Charles and Queen Camila shared on X: “Happy Birthday to The Princess of Wales!”

The Monarch, 75, shared a picture of Kate attending the Royal Family’s traditional Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, last year.

Royal fans also inundated the mum-of-three with sweet well wishes.

One wrote: “I love the princess of Wales so much. She is an angel.”

Another penned: “Happy birthday to the beautiful princess.”

“Wishing Catherine the happiest of birthdays today. May today and the next year be wonderful for her. Much love to the Princess,” shared a third.

Kate’s recovery

We last saw Kate on Christmas Day as she joined the royals for their annual church outing in Sandringham.

Prior to this, she hosted her annual Together at Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey in early December.

It comes as Kate marks a gradual return to work following a turbulent past 12 months.

William described 2024 as a “brutal” and probably “the hardest year” of his life, with his father, the King, also diagnosed with cancer.

Next week will mark a year since the princess was admitted to hospital for an operation on January 16, just seven days after her 42nd birthday.

She spent nearly two weeks in the London Clinic after major abdominal surgery, before beginning chemotherapy.

Since then, the 43-year-old has remained largely out of the public eye.

But, she announced in September last year that she had finished chemotherapy and she would focus on being “cancer free” in a heartwarming video.