Body Language Expert Pinpoints Moment Prince William and Prince Harry’s ‘Widening Rift’ Was on Display for All to See
Before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they were stepping down from their roles within the royal family, there was speculation that either the brothers or their wives had a falling out.
During the documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey which aired in October 2019, the Duke of Sussex hinted that the rift was between him and his sibling and said they were “on different paths.” Then in his 2023 memoir Spare, Harry noted that their feud had been brewing for years even though they kept up the appearance that things were fine. Now though a body language expert is looking back at an event where the princes didn’t hide their feelings well and their rift was actually on full display for the public to see.
Body language expert observes when William and Harry’s feud was on full display
According to body language expert Judi James, the first real sign of tension seen between Prince William and Prince Harry was during an Easter service in April 2019.
That year Harry attended the service without Meghan who was pregnant with their son, Archie, at the time. But instead of walking to St. George’s Chapel and chatting with William and Kate as he had done countless times over the years, he chose to walk by himself. The duke was photographed staring at the ground, while his brother and sister-in-law followed about 10 paces behind.
The princes did not speak to each other at all on their way in or out of the chapel and were separated by their cousin Zara and her husband Mike Tindall.
James told The Mirror: “The body language between the two princes here doesn’t just add to the speculation that the pair are no longer on speaking terms, it seems to suggest that any rift might have got even wider. When he was single, Harry was always forming a tight and happy trio with William and Kate, but here it looks sadly as though he is going out of his way to have a lack of communication with his brother.
“Not only does he arrive and leave walking apart from William and Kate, but his antics when William closes in by the church entrance also make him look awkward and hints that he could be desperate to avoid him. [Harry’s] facial expression looks dour and he seems to raise one hand to touch his face in what looks like a partial cut-off gesture suggesting a desire to hide.”
Prince William reportedly has no desire to speak to Harry going forward
No one knows whether the brothers will ever be able to reconcile or if their relationship is beyond repair. But William has reportedly made it clear that he is extremely angry over the things Harry said about him in interviews as well as in his Netflix docuseries and the claims he made in Spare.
As a source told The Daily Beast, the Prince of Wales “feels utterly betrayed … he hates him for what he has done to the family in the books and interviews … it’s no secret he would prefer it if Harry never stepped foot in England again.”
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