Watching the Trooping the Colour parade on Saturday, we were struck by one thing in particular. Not Prince William's longer-than-ever beard, or the Princess of Wales' intricate updo, but the incredible poise Princess Charlotte portrayed.
At 11 years old, the only daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales exudes an elegance many of us can but dream of, and as she stepped onto the Buckingham Palace balcony, the young royal could be seen visibly correcting her posture, standing up straighter, with her shoulders pushed back – a stature inherited from her mother, who is always the picture of poise and elegance, too –princess posture, if you will. Check out the video below to see her posture in action.
Charlotte's princess posture tells of elegance and confidence, according to Nadia Alibhia, principal osteopath at London's Biome By Corinthia.
"Her posture portrays confidence and someone warm and easy to approach," Nadia continues, adding: "When you have slumped posture, your gaze also goes down, so you're not making eye contact, meaning you look less approachable and less confident."
Nadia explains that when you can see a person's eyes, you consider them trustworthy because they're acting openly, and with princes and princesses in mind, Nadia notes that strong, stable posture also relates to our stature in society, with fairy tale links included.
"If we look at the princesses, the kings, and the knights in fairy tales, they're always strong and upright. In comparison, the wicked witch or the poor village folk are hunched over. In those stories, our posture speaks of our position in society."
© Getty ImagesCharlotte's princess posture
While the Wales children have likely been taught to stand up straight when on public engagements, Nadia says that Charlotte's myriad hobbies are likely responsible for her impeccable posture, too.
"How we use our bodies as children has a huge impact on our posture," Nadia says. "Kids that grow up with ballet, swimming and gymnastics are building muscles from a young age, getting their posture in a better position."
© WireImagePrincess Charlotte is known to be a keen dancer and gymnast, as well as a football player, so it's no surprise she has the muscle strength to hold herself upright. Prince William's strict no-phones rule likely helps too, as it means less time spent hunched over a screen, which can result in a rounded posture - the dreaded 'tech neck' we hear so much about.
The good news? Even if you weren't a sporty child and you’re finding yourself hunching into adulthood, there are simple exercises to tap into princess posture yourself.
1. Don't focus on your shoulders and back
While you might think that lifting your shoulders back is a shortcut to better posture, Nadia says that if your posture is rounded, pushing your shoulders back isn’t going to make a great deal of difference.
Instead, she says to focus on uncurling by lifting your breastbone up. "As you lift that, you're uncurling the rounded posture and extending your back, instantly bringing your shoulders back and down."
© AFP via Getty Images2. Wall angels
Imagine making a snow angel, but do it against the wall. This simple move is helpful in strengthening upper back muscles and opening your body more.
3. Chin tucks
If 'tech neck' has left your head sticking out forward, creating a curved look, Nadia recommends placing your index finger on your chin and pushing it in, creating a double chin, for 10 seconds.
"You should feel an elongation, getting your head into a more balanced position," she says.
