On Wednesday, Princess Kate went where no royal had been before (at least as far as we're aware): she pulled tyres attached to her waist.
If you're confused as to why one would do this, it's actually one of the ways Army Captain Preet Chandi trained for her recent solo expedition across Antarctica, during which she had to lug around heavy equipment, per The Sun.
Kate was at Landau Forte College in Derby to celebrate Captain Preet's return, and decided to try her hand at the unusual activity. This decision, says body language expert Darren Stanton, exemplifies Kate's desire to embody a new kind of royal.
"Footage of Kate pulling the tyres along during her latest appearance clearly demonstrates her willingness and confidence, as well as her ability to blend in with those around her," Darren tells Marie Claire on behalf of Betfair Casino.
"It’s difficult to imagine any member of the Royal Family allowing themselves to be filmed and photographed in those surroundings and just goes to show how Kate is keen to look past protocols and rewrite the rulebook when it comes to how she and William portray themselves to the public."
Darren continues: "Kate looks genuinely happy to be taking part, you can see the determination in her face to impress and she looks back towards her audience reassuringly for their encouragement. Keen to get stuck in, we see Kate in the footage taking instructions from others quite willingly."
Sharing photos of the day's engagement on Instagram, including a beautiful one of Kate and Preet embracing, the Prince and Princess of Wales wrote: "Record breaker. History maker. @polarpreet is a shining example of fortitude.
"Today it’s been fantastic to hear all about her polar expedition and see how she is inspiring the next generation of young girls to believe they can achieve anything they put their mind to!"
That's a message we can get behind.
