IT’S hard to believe it’s been over two years since the Queen passed away, especially with so much happening in the royal family ever since.

Her Majesty’s passing meant that Prince William moved up the line of succession to become the next in line for the throne after King Charles – and he has taken the role in his stride.

The Queen passed away in September 2022, making Prince William first in line to the throneCredit: Getty

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Prince William appears to have increased his PDAs on sweet posts with KateCredit: Rex
Not only has he been a dedicated husband to wife Princess Kate during her chemotherapy treatment this year, but he has also appeared to have found a new confidence in his role.

Body language expert Judi James claimed the Prince of Wales has found ways to let his hair down.

She told Fabulous: “William’s royal status upgrade to direct heir to the throne and Kate and his father’s recent illnesses seem to have prompted a profound epiphany in terms of his public body language
and even his styling statements.

“After years of cautious emotional masking, he now looks keen to reveal his authentic personality with some open displays of love, passion and even some ‘big kid’ behaviours.”

Here’s how Prince William has taken the past two years in his stride and not taken himself too seriously…

PDA with Kate

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William leaned down to give Kate a kiss on her neck in her video announcing she is cancer-freeCredit: Will Warr

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William cosied up to Kate in the emotional videoCredit: Will Warr
Princess Kate stunned the world when she released a new video in September announcing that she had finished her chemotherapy treatment.

But the intimate video also showed Prince William and Kate doing some uncharacteristic public displays of affection too.

Cinematic footage showed an affectionate Prince and Princess of Wales cuddling and kissing, which was a deviation from them using refraining from being romantic in public.

Judi said: “This video was remarkable in the way we saw Kate and William happily showing the world the depth of their love for each other.

“William has always kept to the subtlest PDAs with his
wife but here he showed signals of open adoration and even passion in a very uninhibited and adorable way.

“The intimacy looked mutual, with William just as keen to make the
emotional reveal as Kate.

“If anything, his wide smiles and his ‘look of love’ facial expressions
suggested he was relieved to be more honest about his emotions after decades of keeping them under wraps in public.”

Partying at Taylor Swift

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Prince William celebrated his 42nd birthday at the Taylor Swift concertCredit: Instagram

William let loose at he gig and was capturing busting some dance movesCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
Prince William spent his birthday showing off his dance moves during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert with Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The future King celebrated his 42nd birthday at the gig at Wembley Stadium.

The royal trio also posed for selfies with Swift herself and her American football player boyfriend Travis Kelce.

Footage has since been posted on social media showing the Prince of Wales dancing in the crowd among thousands of roaring Swifties.

He is seen – dressed in a buttoned down shirt and blazer – swaying his arms as he gets into the music on the terrace.

Judi said: “Spot the biggest kid in this pose as Taylor Swift takes a selfie with William, George and Charlotte.

“William’s body language here suggests he’s as much of a Swiftie as his children and he’s happy to drop all royal status signals to stand beaming bashfully behind George. ”

THAT beard

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William beard has proved to be a hit with female fansCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk

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William was seen with the beard on his visit to Southport with Kate last weekCredit: Getty
Prince William surprised fans when he showed off a new beard in August – but it has proven to be a huge hit with a number of female admirers.

William first debuted his new facial hair in a video alongside Princess Kate to thank team GB after the Paris Olympics.

But it appears to have stuck as he had it as he met with victims of the Southport attack last week with Kate, on what was her first public engagement with her husband since her cancer diagnosis.

Judi shared: “There’s normally nothing remarkable or daring about a beard. Hipsters and cool guys might have been sporting beards as a fashion statement for decades but when a royal like William appears unshaven it’s a different matter.

“It’s a statement men often make to show they’re on holiday or taking some sort of a break from business.

“For William that break was all about prioritising his time to be with Kate and his children. When he wore it back at work it let everyone know he was still primarily in the role of Dad and loving husband.

“A beard is also a subliminal statement of machismo though, meaning it ties in with that rather more uninhibited, sexier prince we got to glimpse in Kate’s recent family video.

“It could also show he sees himself in a strong, protective mode right now.

“And there seems to be some power-flexing here too. William has always been one of the more traditional royals but now he is the direct heir he seems happier and more confident about doing things his way without needing to vie for any royal approval from the top first.”

Non-regal shots

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This fun-loving shot was shared for William’s 42nd birthday this yearCredit: PA
On his 42nd birthday, Kate shared an incredible never-before-seen picture of Wills and their adorable three kids on a beach outing.

The fun action shot shows Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Prince George holding hands as they leap from a sand dune.

Kate wrote a heartwarming message alongside the snap, which she took herself, it read: “Happy birthday Papa, we all love you so much! Cx.”

The light-hearted shot was a far cry from regal-looking portraits that could have been released for William’s big day.

The body language expert shared: “William has also dropped his air of quiet dignity and elegance here to show off his amazing capacity for being a very fun, playful dad.

“There’s not one iota of regal-looking embarrassment or reserve here as he leaps in the air yelling with his three children.

“He’s clearly the one leading this pose and putting in the most effort too, showing an emphatic desire to shuck off the formal, dutiful royal side and just let rip.

“He seems to be enjoying a bit of a second childhood with his own children, who he has even dressed like here in an adorable act of team identity.”

What has Prince William said about being king?

WE’VE had an insight into Prince William’s thoughts on becoming king over the years in a number of interviews…

William said in a BBC News interview that he’d observed “the qualities that are essential for somebody in a leadership role” from watching the late Queen’s reign but revealed he hadn’t sat down with her one-on-one to discuss his future role.

He has said: “I think royal duty is extremely important.

“I take my responsibilities very seriously, but it’s about finding your own way at the right time and if you’re not careful, duty can sort of weigh you down an awful lot at a very early age, and I think you’ve got to develop into the duty role.”

He confessed to British GQ that “there is no rulebook” to royal life.

William stated: “I sometimes wonder if there should be, but in the end, I think probably not.

“Having that difference in how we do things makes the royal family more interesting and more flexible.

“If we all followed the same line, it would all be quite stifled.

“Our characters are different and the different opinions are important to have.”

William has also stressed the importance of the monarchy “modernising”.

Speaking to BBC, he said: “It has to stay relevant, and that’s the challenge for me.

“How do I make the royal family relevant in the next 20 years’ time?

“You know, it could be 40 years’ time. It could be 60 years’ time. I have no idea when that’s going to be.”