Kate shows ‘inconvenience’ act to Camilla on Commonwealth Day

(Image credit: Getty)

published 15 March 22

Kate Middleton has shown respect to Duchess Camilla by offering up a small inconvenience, a royal insider has revealed.

Kate Middleton expressed her respect for Duchess Camilla with subtle gestures at the Commonwealth Day service on Monday, a body language expert claims.
The Duchess of Cornwall, 74, will become Queen Consort when Her Majesty dies and Prince Charles ascends the throne.
In other royal news, why Meghan Markle was uninvited to Pippa Middleton's wedding at the last minute.

Kate Middleton has shown her respect for Duchess Camilla's higher ranking in the Royal Family with several small gestures, according to a body language expert.

The two female royals joined the Prince of Wales and Prince William at Westminster Abbey in London in honor of Commonwealth Day yesterday, for their first public appearance since the Queen confirmed that Duchess Camilla would be Queen Consort when Charles becomes King. The occasion, which dates back to 1971, observes Britain's 54 member states every March and is generally considered to be an opportunity to cultivate a greater understanding of the Commonwealth's achievements and mission.

Unfortunately, Her Majesty was unable to attend the event due to concerns that the 95-year-old would find the ceremony—much of which requires standing—'too taxing'. She was instead represented by Prince Charles, one of her four counselors of state, and her message was issued by Buckingham Palace ahead of the service.

While Duchess Camilla did not address the congregation, it was clear that her social ranking in the Royal Family has climbed since the news of her forthcoming promotion.

Dressed in a regal purple dresscoat and a matching feathered hat, the 74-year-old looked every inch the future royal consort as she arrived at the London church with Prince Charles for the annual event on Monday.

The powerhouse couple was greeted by Kate Middleton and Prince William, who had entered the abbey before them, before they took their seats in the front pews of the thousand-year-old building.

The Duchess of Cambridge appeared to make a special effort to acknowledge Camilla's recent honor, offering multiple gestures to express her admiration for her stepmother-in-law.

"Kate touched Camilla’s arm with her left hand as an add-on gesture to suggest closeness and affection as they cheek-kissed," body language expert Judi James told the Mirror. "She also performed a huge ‘act of inconvenience’ to show respect, bending her knees to lower herself right down to plant her kiss on Camilla’s cheeks."

It's understood that Kate and Camilla have always gotten on well behind the scenes, with their shared backgrounds as wealthy commoners from the British countryside likely giving them plenty of material to talk about. The Duchess of Cambridge was reportedly even gifted a gold bracelet from her stepmother-in-law before she married Prince William in 2011, and has attended countless royal engagements with her since.

Emma Dooney

Emma is a news writer for woman&home and My Imperfect Life. She covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health or lifestyle story. When she's not reporting on the British monarchy and A-list celebs, you can find her whipping up vegan treats and running the roads to cheesy '90s pop music...but not at the same time, obviously.