Prince William displayed indications of internal tension as he joined King Charles for Remembrance Sunday, as suggested by a body language expert.
Charles led the nation in commemorating the end of the First World War and other conflicts at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, honouring British and Commonwealth forces.
After laying a wreath at the monument, William followed suit, placing his wreath adorned with the Prince of Wales feathers. At this moment, body language expert Judi James observed a shared behavior between William and Charles – rapid blinking.
However, she suspects the reason behind this might be very different for father and son. She told the Mirror: “Rapid blinking at an increased rate, as both William and Charles were doing, tends to be caused either by a suppression of tears or it can be a physiological response that is down to an increase in adrenalin prompted by tension, anxiety or even anger!
“In Charles’ case, I would call the ‘tears option’ as his eyes did look damp and the way he rolled his eyes upward a couple of times would be another technique to avoid actually shedding tears.
“For William there was a staccato blinking that was more frequent, which would say more about inner tension. He seems to be presenting himself as the family rock that his father can rely on but that display of strength and calm could be underpinned by some inner tension in terms of getting it right.
“He might want to avoid showing any vulnerability, especially in the light of the constant problems from the US, but there do seem to be a couple of micro-gestures, i.e. the blinking and the jaw muscle movement, that give hints the responsibility does require effort. William’s body language now places him as a beacon of calm and strength at formal, traditional royal events like this.
“His features looked softer as though keeping a fond eye on his father, although a muscle working in his jaw did suggest some inner tension and alertness.”
