Four years after the passing of Queen Elizabeth, the royal family is still finding its footing in a new era. And according to one expert, it is Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, who has quietly become its center. So much so that they are claiming that Prince William’s wife is emerging as the family’s “matriarch,” much like the late Queen once was.
Why an expert believes Kate projects continuity and resilience
An expert suggests that Kate Middleton now carries the same matriarchal presence Queen Elizabeth once held.
In a conversation with the Daily Express, body language specialist Judi James shared her view that Prince William’s wife has now fully taken over the late monarch’s mantle. She believes that Princess Catherine has stepped into the vital position of the royal family’s “natural matriarch.”
After studying Middleton during her latest major public outings, James pointed to a quiet but unmistakable shift in how she carries herself, from her stance to her overall presence. The clearest example unfolded at this year’s National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, on November 8, 2026.
Judi James noted, “Over the past few years of drama and scandal for the royal Firm, [Catherine] has emerged as their natural matriarch. In the expert’s reading, she has become “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.”
She added, “[Catherine’s] intense gaze down at William suggested a message of silent unity with her husband. She is a very visible presence on the balcony, and this gesture suggested she is, in spirit at least, beside William as part of the ceremony she is watching.”
The specialist wrapped up her analysis by highlighting the subtle synchronicity between Kate Middleton and Prince William after the wreath-laying. It was then, she reflected, that the Wales pair’s blinking rose in unison, revealing a silent surge of feeling as they paid their respects.
