They're always trying to be "more relatable and personable."
It's the news on every royal watcher's lips: Prince William and Kate Middleton are relocating to Windsor in the coming weeks with their children George, Charlotte and Louis.
In the Queen's now-hometown, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will have their base in Adelaide Cottage, a home close to the monarch's Windsor Castle and just an hour's drive from Carole and Michael Middleton's home in Bucklebury.
Almost as importantly, however, the Cambridges' new house is much less grand than their current Kensington Palace apartment, with just four bedrooms. This means they will have no live-in staff, with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis not having a live-in nanny for the first time in their lives.
For body language expert Darren Stanton, the Cambridges' decision to downsize is far from incidental. In fact, he believes it's entirely in line with their brand as senior royals.
Darren tells Marie Claire on behalf of Betfair: "Kate and William downsizing to Adelaide Cottage would be a significant move and one that is consistent with the core values and beliefs the royal couple have, as well as their characters.
"Although they recognise and embrace their roles as senior royals, they have also shown a willingness to break away from tradition and protocol and conduct themselves in a more relatable and personable manner."
He adds: "Their latest decision to leave Kensington Palace shouldn’t come as a surprise, as it’s clear Kate and William, despite their royal duties, want to live as much a normal life as humanly possible for their family."
Darren believes that it's not just about appearing more relatable for the Cambridges: he thinks they also crave a bit of normalcy in their lives.
He says: "Such a move would mean their in-house staff would be forced to live out of immediate residence, suggesting that Kate and William very much have a desire for their own space within their own household and for it to be a relatively normal and grounded space behind closed doors.
"It’s another behavioural display of Kate and William wanting to do things their own way and another strategic move by the pair."
The expert concludes: "The move in household will also see the pair respected by and more connected with the public — leaving the grandeur of Kensington Palace for a smaller and more modest home will no doubt allow William and Kate once again to appear more approachable and a couple that the everyday public can resonate with."
We will continue to update this story.
