Kate Middleton's 'self-preservation mode' amid Harry and Meghan rift revealed

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex have made no secret of their grievances towards the Royal Family, but according to the duke, their relationship started to unravel before they moved to California

View 3 Images

Prince Harry might finally be making headway in mending his bond with his father, King Charles, but the same cannot be said regarding his fractured relationship with his brother, Prince William, or sister-in-law, Princess Kate.

Ever since stepping away from their Royal duties, Harry and Meghan have been remarkably open about their complaints against the rest of the Royal Family, but based on Harry's tell-all book Spare, tensions began deteriorating between the Sussexes and Waleses well before the pair decided to relocate to California.

The duke was previously much tighter with Kate and William, but currently, it appears reconciliation isn't on the horizon.

Since the Sussexes' shocking departure from royal life, the couple has only encountered each other on a handful of occasions.

And now body language specialist Judi James has identified one specific instance during these rare encounters when it appeared Kate swiftly chose to enter "self-preservation mode" instead of participating in the ongoing conflict, reports the Mirror.

This happened shortly following the late Queen's passing, when Harry, William, Kate, and Meghan all went to greet mourners in Windsor and observe tributes placed for the deceased monarch.

View 3 Images

Previously known as the 'Fab Four', the two couples showed up in the same vehicle, but Kate immediately walked alone, rather than participating in a group interaction, the specialist noted to the Daily Mail. The two couples' public reunion, following a breakdown in relations and the loss of the beloved Queen, was a high-profile moment.

According to an expert, it was "no surprise" that Kate chose to do what worked best for her.

"Kate appeared to use spatial behavior and distancing to make her own point about group dynamics and a lack of desire to turn an homage to a dearly-loved Queen into a soap-style drama," the expert noted.

Judi continued, "her body language suggested a very focused future Queen wanting to pay her respects to a late Queen with the kind of decisive firmness and resolve that Elizabeth II was famous for."

View 3 Images

Royal author Omid Scobie also discussed this moment in his book Endgame. He revealed that Meghan had been, according to sources, "extremely nervous" about interacting with the public.

During the drive to the walkabout, the two couples barely spoke in the car, simply "muddling through light small talk" due to the ongoing tension between them.

Meanwhile, sources close to Kate told Royal author Robert Jobson that due to the strained relationship between the Waleses and the Sussexes, the future Queen found the walkabout to be "one of the hardest things she ever had to do".