PLUCKY PRINCE
Prince George’s ‘Vogue-style’ birthday photo reveals 6 signs of new confidence in future king, says body language pro
Watch our video for Judi's full breakdown of Prince George's sleek birthday photo
PRINCE George is celebrating his 11th birthday, and Kensington Palace have released a “Vogue-style” photo of the young royal.
The black-and-white shot shows the future King looking grown up in an open-necked shirt and dark blazer as he beams at the camera.
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According to body language expert Judi James, the image - taken by Kate at Windsor earlier this month - includes six indicators of Prince George’s new “confidence.”
Judi told Fabulous: “Like all his family, George has had some fast-track growing up to do in the past year.
“His mother’s illness will have had an impact on them all but then there have also been the fun moments, like when he fan-boy-ed Taylor Swift with his dad and sister and then his appearance at the Euros.
“This pose reflects that year so well, throwing up six key body language signals that provide clues about his personality…”
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1) GROWING SENSE OF CONFIDENCE
Judi shared: “Like his father George has always shown signals of shyness but this pose very emphatically informs us that he is now growing into a more confident young man.
“His shoulders and his posture signal an assured sense of relaxation here.
“Even his hands seem to hang in his lap with no signs of tension. Nobody has needed to make him laugh or grin for this pose, which he seems to have taken ownership over for the first time.”
2) MORE SENSIBLE, REFLECTIVE LOOK
In the past, we have seen Prince George playing on the beach for his birthday image, but Judi claimed this photo has switched up the feel.
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She explained: “This is not a childhood pose, running in the garden or playing on holiday.
“It hints at an increasingly more responsible, sensible and thoughtful side emerging in his personality.”
Prince George Turns 11: Adorable Birthday Photos & Celebrations!
3) LOVING, COMPLEX SMILE
The body language expert shared how Prince George often mirrors his parent’s body language, but has now developed his own smile.
She explained: “This is an asymmetric smile that pulls up higher on one side.
“This smile seems to show that George is asserting his own individual personality now, as it is not a mimicked or mirrored smile that he has copied from his parents.
“William’s smile always involves a lot of puckering and suppressions around the mouth and Kate’s smile is nearly always symmetric.
“George’s body language still shows strong mirroring rituals of his dad but this more individual smile style suggests he also has his own friends or mentors ‘outside’ the close family team.”
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4) NARROWED ‘FIRM’ EYE-SMILE
Judi claimed that Prince George has a “firm” eye-smile, which mirrors that of the late Queen.
She added: “This gesture hints at some growing firmness or assessing traits that would nod back to his grandad and great-grandmother.
“It’s a very affectionate eye-smile but not the rounded, widened expression of childhood.”
Kate Middleton's 'golden rule' with George, Charlotte and Louis
KATE'S key rule for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis is about kindness.
According to HELLO! Online's Royal Correspondent: "Based on observations of photographs of Princess Diana at the time, and the current Princess of Wales, they are both very affectionate with their children.
"Kate is often seen holding her children's hands or picking them up for cuddles when they were smaller.
"There are often lots of comforting gestures, such as a pat on the back or stroking their hair. When interacting with other children on her public engagements, Kate often crouches down to their level to engage with them – something that Diana would often do."
When she's at the family's home of Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, despite her royal status, insiders say Kate is just like any other "normal mum".
A friend explained that behind closed doors, the 42-year-old is "very chilled at home" but definitely not a pushover and will tell the kids off when needed.
They told PEOPLE: "It's a normal, busy family home with kids running around and knocking things over. There's no airs and graces.
"She is doing that to help her children be more grounded and keep their reality in check. That's what really matters to her."
5) POP STAR PHOTO
The body language expert commented on the choice of black-and-white sleek photo for the milestone occasion.
She added: “The monochrome photo is a very cool and stylish choice that seems to drop hints that this is now the boy who is moving in Taylor Swift-style circles.
“We usually see the royal children posing in the blue and white tones of childhood and with an emphasis on idyllic, outdoor country living on beaches or in gardens but George has a more cosmopolitan look here that gives hints of a Vogue spread rather than being snapped at a family day out on the beach.
“Even his hair has a new, pop-star quiff to hang over one side of his forehead."
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6) GEORGE’S OWNERSHIP
Judi said that Prince George appears to be owning the photo, instead of being forced to take a snap for the event.
The body language pro explained how you can see this by his “sideways and upward glance to camera.”
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She added: “George is no longer staring straight into the camera, his pose suggests he has been ‘caught’ relaxing or looking away, with his attention drawn to the lens.
“It suggests he has more ownership of the pose, which again hints at that growing sense of confidence and making choices.”