Kate Middleton's secret signal for support in touching gesture to photographer explained

Kate Middleton made a heartwarming gesture of empathy as she embraced a young photographer battling cancer at Windsor Castle today, a body language expert claims.

The Princess of Wales shared the touching photo on social media, which captured her smiling and hugging 16-year-old Liz Hatton, who is battling a rare and aggressive tumour. The teenager has documented herself completing a series of photography bucket list activities, and was today invited by Kate and William to help document an investiture ceremony held at Windsor.

It is the first time Kate, 42, has been pictured since releasing an emotional family video revealing she had completed her preventative chemotherapy treatment, and was now focusing on staying "cancer free". According to body language expert Judi James, Kate appears to have shown an "extra note of empathy" as she embraced the aspiring photographer today.

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James said: “There seems to be an extra note of empathy about Kate’s body language here as she leans her shoulders and upper torso in for a hug that looks as though it could be beneficial for both her and Liz. She places her chin right over the young woman’s shoulder and uses her right hand placed flat to pull her in even closer for this warm, affectionate hug.

"Kate’s smile has the dimpling that always makes it look congruent and her eye expression suggests she is taking personal pride in the young photographer she is greeting.”

A caption under one photo posted on X, formerly Twitter, reads: "A pleasure to meet with Liz at Windsor today. A talented young photographer whose creativity and strength has inspired us both. Thank you for sharing your photos and story with us."

Kate and William thanked the 16-year-old in a seperate caption posted under a selection of the photos she took of the ceremony. The caption reads: "Congratulations to everyone who received honours at Windsor today! It was a pleasure to have @lizhatton_photography helping us to capture these special moments."

Liz, from Harrogate, was diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumors in January this year, with tumours found on her ovaries, her omentum tissue, and liver. The cancer is incredibly rare - with only around 12 cases per year in England - but is also aggressive, and can leave people with just a matter of months to live.

Heartbreakingly, the teenager has been told she likely has between just six months and three years to live, with the time frame dependant on the effectiveness of her chemotherapy treatment. Liz has focused almost solely on photography in the months following her diagnosis, telling Digital Camera World that the craft has "become my focus in life".