Body Language Expert Tells Us Kate Middleton Flashes Real Smile Away From William At Wimbledon 2024

When she attended her second public function since revealing her cancer diagnosis, Kate Middleton parted ways with Prince William — and she couldn't have looked happier to make her annual Wimbledon appearance a girls-only outing.

As the royal patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Kate has an excellent excuse to attend an event that's a bucket-list must for tennis fans, and she also gets the VIP treatment by being seated in the Royal Box. It's certainly not a bad perk of her position, but royalists weren't certain that they would get to see her there this year until Kensington Palace announced that she would be attending the men's final. She was joined by her daughter Charlotte and her sister, Pippa Middleton. Meanwhile, William and Prince George took a man-cation to Berlin to watch England get trounced by Spain at the 2024 UEFA European Championship. 

While William and Kate previously had some icy interactions at Trooping the Colour, Fraud-Busting Body Language Expert Traci Brown, CSP, exclusively told Nicki Swift that Kate was not trying to hide any discomfort behind a practiced smile during her William-less Wimbledon outing. "Looks like she's genuinely happy. That's a real smile," said Brown. "She's smiling with her eyes, not just her mouth, that's how we know. So this is a great moment for her." But perhaps Kate's smile would have faltered just a bit if she had read what her critics were saying about her ahead of the event.

Kate Middleton's presence at Wimbledon had some people calling foul. Her tennis outing was more than enough to satisfy royalists — she came; she sat; she got a standing ovation; and she even presented the trophy to Carlos Alcaraz. She was also back on top of her fashion game — whereas Kate's Trooping the Colour outfit was ruined by one mistake, she was looking her regal best in a purple Safiyaa dress with a twist detail on the bodice and an added modesty panel. However, some tennis fans felt that she attended the wrong match. "She could have done so much for women in sports by going to the women's final yesterday instead," read one tweet. "The publicity these talented ladies would have got by her attendance would have been immeasurable."

A wonderful Centre Court welcome for our Patron HRH The Princess of Wales 💜#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/HGcphka27P

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 14, 2024

Other skeptics found it somewhat suspicious that Kate's second royal engagement in months was something that was fun for her. "Wondering what kind of cancer treatments only effect the boring charity work engagements but leave Kate Middleton able to sit in the sun for hours watching a tennis match," one person opined. It was also pointed out that Kate's decision to attend Wimbledon came after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got some good press — Harry also got a standing ovation at the ESPYs for winning an award instead of handing one out. But must every appearance by the estranged royals be treated like a tennis match?