'She’s cross, really cross': Body language experts weigh in on Kate shrugging off Wills

Body language experts have weighed in on a viral video showing Kate Middleton seemingly shrugging off her husband, Prince William’s hand, while the pair were appearing on a Christmas TV special.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge starred in the BBC documentary A Berry Royal Christmas in the UK last night, where viewers couldn’t help but notice the mum-of-three appearing to flinch to avoid her husband’s touch while they were sitting in a circle with a group of charity volunteers.

"What just happened here???? Ouch!", one person said, while another commented on a Twitter video of the moment saying: “Very Donald and Melania!”

Relationship therapist, Annie Gurton, told Yahoo Lifestyle Australia she believes Kate is “really cross with William” in the video, however she claims having conflict is “healthy” in a relationship.

“It may be that there is something going on between them and they have recently had a row or dispute. Conflict is a normal part of having a healthy relationship - what separates a happy couple from one which is struggling is their ability to deal with conflict as it arises,” Annie said.

Despite saying it’s impossible to know what kind of a day the couple were having, she believes Kate’s gesture indicated she’s “really cross with William”.

“She probably hasn’t had a chance to ‘have it out’ with him yet, and she is conveying her anger by the shoulder shrug. We can all be really annoying to our partners. This public event is not the time and place for them to discuss it, but she couldn’t help herself making it clear to him that she’s cross, really cross,” Annie continued.

“It doesn’t mean that their relationship is in crisis. It means their relationship is normal.

Couples who never have conflict are the ones to worry about.”

Despite agreeing that it was “an odd thing to do”, body language expert, Dr Louise Mahler, disagrees with the fact that anything out of the ordinary is going on between the Cambridges in the video.

According to Dr. Louise, Kate was “smiling in her best smile” and William was “doing his best ‘looking interested’ look”.

“She did make a slight look down afterwards as if to say “should I have done that”, but then continued with the act within a split second,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle Australia.

In true royal fashion, Dr. Louise believes Kate was simply following protocol in the clip.

She continued, calling the pair “magnificent professionals” and believes Kate probably deemed Prince William’s move “too intimate for that audience”.

Communication specialist Elly Johnson believes Kate rejected William’s PDA because she was in “professional mode”.

“Her face is serious and focussed at that moment as she is concentrating on what is being discussed,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle Australia.

“Not knowing if William was reaching out just for a second or for longer, Kate quickly rejects the touch in order to keep both of them in business mode versus personal mode.

“ I don’t believe there is an indication of anything wrong with their relationship, rather just a non-verbal signal to keep things professional at that moment.”

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