As the Prince and Princess of Wales joined together for a rare joint appearance today for the Qatar state visit to the UK, Prince William was seen placing a protective-looking arm on his wife’s back – but one expert believes it had a secret meaning

The Princess of Wales was able to count on her husband Prince William for support as she made a striking return to royal duties today.

Kate wore an eye-popping maroon coat, with matching hat and heeled boots as she and the Prince of Wales welcomed the Emir of Qatar and his wife on a state visit to the UK today. Kate has been gradually returning to royal duties after she announced in September that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment and her focus was “doing what I can to stay cancer-free”.

After greeting the Qatari guests at their hotel, William and Kate accompanied them to Horse Guards Parade where they met King Charles for a ceremonial welcome before heading back to Buckingham Palace in a carriage procession.

William places an arm on Kate’s shoulder ( 
Image:
Victoria Jones/REX/Shutterstock)
While carrying out duties at Horse Guards, William was seen tenderly placing a seemingly supportive hand on his wife’s back as dignitaries shook hands. However, according to body language expert Judi James, the gesture actually took on a “different slant”.

She told the Mirror : “His hand on Kate’s back can be seen as supportive, but it actually looks more like a symptom of the affectionate and slightly flirty truncated hugs he’s been showering her with since their video update showed them as a truly tactile and flirty couple in private.

“His touch on Kate’s shoulder is more about showing polite priority, which could in turn reflect her power and strength signals here. It registers full attention when she speaks, which means both love and respect.”

William and Kate share a joke at Horse Guards Parade today ( 
Image:
Samir Hussein/WireImage)
To mark the occasion today, Kate opted for a coat by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, a matching hat by Sahar Millinery and Gianvito Rossi boots. The colour was a nod to the national hue of Qatar and Kate also gave a nod to the late Queen by wearing a necklace and earrings once belonging to her.

And according to Judi, everything about Kate’s look screamed “I’m back in business” as a “royal rock”. She explained: “The razor-sharp tailored shoulders are a power option, as are the killer boots that match her outfit, to create a solid block of burgundy, a regal colour associated with strength and a desire to stand out rather than stand back.

“The brimless matching hat and the hair swept up into an immaculate chignon offers Kate no hiding place in terms of ducking behind her hair or a brim. This revealing option is clearly chosen to allow her to present what is a radiant smile to her fans and to the world, with not one micro-gesture of anxiety or nerves.”With the addition of the pearls Kate has perfected the same levels of regal presence and elegance as she did in the iconic photograph taken at Philip’s funeral, where she first emerged looking like the perfect future Queen. The slightly reflective eye expression we have seen since her illness has gone here and her eye smile, with one brow slightly raised, suggests a sense of fun and full engagement. Her poise in tailored coat dress involves her arms often hanging relaxed at her sides in a look of increased confidence.

“She seems to want to make meeting her an upbeat experience and also a status one too as she looks every inch the warmly hosting future queen here. Like any good host, she seems to want to make the event go well rather than call too much worried attention to herself and her recovery.”