There’s nothing like a mother’s bond with her daughter, particularly when they share so many of the same passions and a similar cheeky sense of humour.
And when the Princess of Wales and her daughter, Princess Charlotte, eight, took their seats in the royal box at Wimbledon to watch Carlos Alcaraz, 20, claim his victory in the men’s singles, we were given a lovely glimpse of their close relationship.
The pair were joined by the Prince of Wales and Prince George on the family outing, as the little princess enjoyed her first ever visit to the tennis tournament.
Speaking exclusively to OK! , leading body language expert Judi James was struck by Kate and Charlotte’s similarities and in particular how the eight year old mimicked her mum’s infectious enthusiasm for the game.
“Watching Kate’s Wimbledon outing with Charlotte gave us a glimpse into how she’s actively mentoring her daughter for royal life. Their mother/daughter relationship is maturing into a lovely friendship, similar to William’s relationship with their son, George,” says Judi.
“And it was lovely to see how both Charlotte and Kate behaved like fans rather than royals during the match, with Charlotte in particular letting rip when it came to cheering Alcaraz to victory.
“The bonds between Kate and Charlotte are visible from the natural – and often subliminal – mirroring, which shows them in similar poses and using similar gestures too.
“When the tension of the match got too much for Charlotte she used a ‘cut-off’ ritual, placing both hands over her face. It looked like a direct mimicry of her mother. And sitting there with her stylish shades on while watching the match, she was a mini-me of elegant Kate.
“Charlotte also seems to have inherited Kate’s confidence, along with her competitiveness plus her tendency to lead. She currently has more freedom to be spontaneous in public and celebrated Alcaraz’s win by throwing both arms up into the air and appearing to ‘roar’.
You’ll see too in that moment an extra ‘tell’ of favouritism for the champion, given away by the fact that her fingers were crossed in a gesture of willing good luck.”
There were some poignant interactions during their afternoon out too, such as when Kate gently held her daughter’s chin as she chatted to her.
“Kate’s fully tuned into her daughter,” says Judi. “This synchronicity between them means she knows when to back off and when to encourage Charlotte’s freedom and growing independence.
Also when to perform approval, reward and encouragement rituals, like the way she will stroke Charlotte’s hair. Or the moment when she sweetly placed her fingers under Charlotte’s chin and looked fondly into her face to show she had her full attention.”
Kate, who has been Patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club since 2016 is a frequent visitor to the famous courts in SW19.
“We saw Kate taking on a leadership role within her family as she hosted her children and her husband at her ‘territory’ of Wimbledon,” explains Judi.
“She firmly, but lovingly, made introductions to staff while explaining everything that was going on. It was a royal induction for Charlotte in particular and Kate’s encouraging approach suggested she’s keen to inspire her daughter to be as passionate about the game as she is.”
In the past Kate has opened up about her love of tennis and even joked that having “lots of babies” limited how sporty she could be.
“This was more than just Kate recruiting a fellow fan, though,” adds Judi. “Both William and Kate look determined to make royal life as enjoyable for their children as possible and Wimbledon is definitely one of the perks of the job.”
Of course one person who had to miss out on the family outing was little Prince Louis, who was deemed to young to sit through the long match. Kate admitted the five year old was sad not to attend, especially after practising his skills as a ball boy at home.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond notes that Charlotte’s relaxed and fun-loving personality is the result of Kate and William’s parenting style and a reflection of Kate’s own happy childhood.
“From her obvious enjoyment watching the Wimbledon final, Charlotte has clearly inherited her mother’s love of sport, especially tennis,” Jennie says.
“She seems to be taking these moments in the spotlight in her stride, just like her mother. She’s reaping the benefit of Kate and William’s determination to give them all as normal, rounded and secure a childhood as possible – emulating Kate’s early years.
“Some of Kate’s natural confidence stems from that happy childhood and, perhaps, the broad experience of life she gained during her very early years when she lived in Jordan.”
Between 1984 and 1986, Kate’s father Michael Middleton was relocated to Anman and the family joined him.
As for the likeness between Princess Charlotte and her mother, Jennie notes, “From the pictures we’ve seen of Kate as a child, it’s obvious that Charlotte takes after her mother in many ways. She’s developing the same willowy physique, she has lush, long hair and a happy – sometimes a little shy – smile.
“Of course, when we see Charlotte, it’s generally at a formal occasion or a prearranged photo opportunity, so she always looks extremely well turned out. Kate, by contrast at that age, had tousled hair or sometimes pigtails in photos – usually showing her clambering up a rock or doing something equally sporty.”
With good genes, a loving family and strong role models for parents, Charlotte and her brothers are being given the best possible grounding to help them win over future generations of royal fans – game, set and match!
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