The Queen sees Kate as an equal and close friend but views Meghan ‘more like a giggling grandchild’, body language expert reveals

ALL eyes were on The Queen and Kate Middleton today as they stepped out for their first public appearance as a pair in seven years.

A body language expert has revealed Her Majesty interacts with the Duchess of Cambridge like an “equal” and “close friend”, but treats Meghan more like “giggling grandchild”.

Judi James told the Sun Online that there are subtle signs that hint the Queen has a close friendship with Kate, 37, compared to a "grandma-role" with Meghan, 37.

The body language expert explained: “It’s becoming increasingly clear from their body language together that Kate and her grandmother-in-law are friends as well as queen and future queen.

“The Queen takes a role-sharing approach when she’s out with Kate. The intense mirroring here says it all.

"Not only are they sharing a blanket as they sit together in the back of the car, their body language and their waves and style of wave is synchronized in a state called postural echo, where they show like-minded thinking by mirroring movement even when they’re not looking at one another.”

“The Queen looks relaxed and her smile appears congruent. Kate’s eyes have caught the camera and her wide, round-cheeked smile signals genuine delight.”

This contrasts with how the Queen interacted with the Duchess of Sussex, when they did their first royal engagement together in Cheshire in June last year.

Judi said: “Meghan might be the same age as Kate but she chose a very different body language behaviour on her first public engagement with the Queen.

“Unlike Kate, who had spent years integrating slowly, Meghan was fast-tracked into her royal duties and as a result her body language looked more youthful and compliant as she studied the Queen carefully as a ‘newbie’.

“Here she also entertains the Queen but as she appears to be making a joke she places her fingers to her mouth in a sweet schoolgirl-style gesture, making the gesture look confiding or secret-sharing.”

Judi said that Queen may be looking ahead but her chuckle shows she’s genuinely amused by Meghan’s comment.

She continued: “Kate and the Queen tended to use signals of evenly-based friendship but Meghan and the Queen look more like a grandmother and a much-loved grand-daughter.”

Judi advised that Kate and the Queen’s interaction today showed similar traits to when they stepped out together back in 2012 to visit Leicester – their last engagement as a pair.

Judi explained: “Kate’s self-diminished posture with her hands clasped above her knees looked respectful to the Queen, who sat in a more relaxed fashion with her hands clasped loosely in her lap.

“But even then, as Kate spoke to the Queen, HM used eye contact and an engaged facial expression to listen, performing the kind of body language that you would normally see between close friends during a chat.”

The Duchess of Cambridge joined the monarch at Kings College London to reopen the newly renovated Grade II listed Bush House, the latest education and learning facilities on the Strand Campus.

The Queen, who is patron of King's College and visited in 2002 and 2012, toured the facilities with Kate and met supporters of the development.

They also viewed a robotics demonstration, including robotic surgery, and a demo showing how sensors made from textiles can measure useful information about the body.

Kate and the Queen, 92, have of course attended plenty of occasions together over the past seven years but this was their first solo outing together since March 2012.

In 2012 the pair visited Leicester as part of the Diamond Jubilee tour but were joined by the Duke of Edinburgh.

They did however attend individual engagements alone as part of the day, including watching a fashion show.

Meghan Markle's first royal trip with the Queen was to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge in June 2018.

We shared how Meghan Markle’s estranged brother Thomas has been in tears as he begs her to let him meet the royal baby.

And a relationship expert said Meghan must end conflict with dad Thomas NOW to avoid ‘tarnishing’ Royal Family’s reputation.

We previously revealed how Meghan will have infuriated Prince William by spending thousands and acting like a celebrity diva on her baby shower, says Paul Burrell.