Donald Trump arrived like a prize fighter before 'manspreading' in front of the Prime Minister - but Theresa May looked like 'the cat that got the cream', according to a body language expert.

Judi James said she was surprised to see the US President displaying 'normal body language' in Davos for the first time in the year she has been studying him.

She said that Mr Trump spoke in an 'almost romantic tone' when he referred to supporting Britain's military - and Mrs May looked 'elegant, even regal'.

President Donald Trump shakes Prime Minister Theresa May's hand in Davos this afternoon

Mr Trump was 'manspreading at the knees, but crossed his legs at the ankle', a body language expert said

Ms James added that Mr Trump displayed 'no underlying signals of impatience' while listening to Mrs May - and noted that he turned to look at her speak.

And she said the Prime Minister appeared to be 'far more confident' than during her first meeting with the President.

She told MailOnline: 'It was absolutely extraordinary because what we were looking for was "is the special relationship still there" - and there was that really funny hand holding at the previous meeting. But they've allegedly fallen out a bit since then.

'It was quite amazing for the fact that Donald Trump [for the first time] in the year I've been studying him did what I would refer to as normal body language.

'So although he arrived for his photoshoot with himself looking like a prize fighter, he looked subdued and genuine with Theresa May. He was still manspreading at the knees, but crossed his legs at the ankle, which was a big concession.

'His hand were steepled at crotch level which was probably very Freudian but he actually used eye contact when he said the most important thing about "we'll always be here for you". Dare I say it was almost a romantic tone of voice?'

Mr Trump told reporters that he expects a 'tremendous' increase in trade with the UK as a result of talks which he said were getting under way.

He sought to kill off suggestions of a rift sparked by her rebuke over his retweet of videos posted by Britain First and his decision not to visit London for the opening of the US embassy.

Mr Trump and Mrs May are pictured with (from left) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, and White House chief economic adviser Gary Cohn

Mrs May could 'sit and look rather elegant as the cat that got the cream', the expert said

And Ms James also noted that his handshakes had become more normal, saying: 'I've never seen Donald Trump to date do a normal handshake – but he just put his hand out quite firmly and strongly with the palm facing in front in a normal handshake.

'When she spoke he did turn round and look at her with no underlying signals of impatience.

'He blows with the wind, but it was blowing in Theresa May's direction today, and all she had to do was sit and look rather elegant as the cat that got the cream.

'He looked genuinely respectful. It was a new Trump, definitely, and I can only say that his body language when he was talking about the relationship looked completely congruent and genuine.'

Ms James said Mrs May’s body language was ‘completely different’ from when she first met Mr Trump in Washington.

‘In their previous meeting, she put on a much more subservient display - leaning right across the arm of her chair towards him as he was speaking and nodding as he made points.

‘This time she looked more confident and sat with her legs tucked to one side. She was sending out higher status signals – appearing elegant and even regal.

‘While she allowed him to do most of the communicating you got the impression the way they were both acting was based on words she had told him before they went on stage, although I cannot be sure.'

Mr Trump 'arrived for his photoshoot with himself looking like a prize fighter', the expert said

Mr Trump puts his hand out as he arrives for the World Economic Forum in Davos today

Ms James said the meeting did not go quite as she expected, adding: ‘Because it is Donald Trump, who has a pretty big ego, you would expect him to be using the opportunity to reboot his status following smack-downs from Mrs May.

‘But that’s not how it turned out, and she looked calm and confident.’

Mr Trump said at the World Economic Forum that he expected trade between the US and UK to 'increase many times' over the coming years.

Meeting Mrs May for talks shortly after her keynote address to the WEF, he added: 'There's a false rumour out there and I just wanted to correct it, frankly.

'We have great respect for everything you are doing and we love your country, we think it's truly great. We are working on transactions in terms of economic development, trade, maybe most importantly military.'