Skip to main content

Camilla Parker Bowles didn’t receive the warmest welcome when she and Prince Charles went public with their relationship more than two decades ago. She wasn’t fully accepted on their wedding day either as some in the crowd booed her following their marriage ceremony, which is said to have really upset her. But things are a bit different today and according to a leading body language expert, the Duchess of Cornwall has shown that she is no longer nervous about how others perceive her.

Here’s Darren Stanton’s take he shared with Showbiz Cheat Sheet about what changed for the woman who will be queen consort when Prince Charles takes the throne.

Camilla Parker Bowles, who a body language expert says is no longer nervous about how she's received, waves to the crowd after visiting a residential farm
Camilla Parker Bowles waves to the crowd after visiting a residential farm | Kirsty O’Connor – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Body language expert explains how Camilla ‘navigated a complex situation’

Stanton is a body language and behavioral expert. He has a degree in psychology and is a former Derbyshire police officer who used his expertise to interpret a suspect’s body language. He has been dubbed the “Human Lie Detector” and has appeared on a number of BBC and ITV shows.

Speaking on behalf of Betfair Bingo Stanton discussed how Camilla’s body language has changed over the years.

“It has been a long road in the relationship between Camilla and Charles, so naturally when people think about the Duchess of Cornwall they will think about her relationship first and foremost,” Stanton said. “Widely understood to be the woman who Charles truly loved and wanted, a sufficient amount of time had to have passed in the minds of the public before it was disclosed because Princess Diana was so dearly loved.”

He added: “Nevertheless, Camilla is a strong and smart woman who has navigated the complex situation to where she finds herself today. In the early days of the relationship it was clear from her body language, although a very confident woman, she was still apprehensive and sometimes nervous in terms of how she would be received on the world stage. She initially did not attend so many official engagements, first seen at social occasions such as polo matches and smaller events, but not many official Royal engagements as I believe the palace wanted to introduce Camilla Parker Bowles to people’s minds slowly but surely.”

Stanton says the duchess’s clothes ‘reflect a change in her confidence’

Camilla Parker Bowles poses for a photo at a reception to celebrate the launch of The Prince’s Countryside Fund’s Confident Rural Communities Network
Camilla Parker Bowles poses for a photo at a reception to celebrate the launch of The Prince’s Countryside Fund’s Confident Rural Communities Network | Chris Jackson Collection, Getty Images

Stanton said that what Camilla wears these days is a reflection of her confidence as well.

“As time went on and she was introduced more and more, her clothes became increasingly flamboyant,” he noted. “All the signs of insecurity or anxiousness in social situations such as lack of eye contact, reserved body posture, and somebody looking down were all non-verbal signs of reservedness she displayed in the very early stages of the relationship, but now we find a very different Camilla.

“Now, Camilla is a very important person when it comes to attending various events with Charles … She is his rock and he looks for her all the time when he’s walking about with dignitaries, doing personal appearances and opening events. Camilla is always on hand to support him any way she can.”

What Stanton believes Camilla has that will make her a great queen consort

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles wave to the crowd from the balcony at Old City Hall
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles wave to the crowd from the balcony at Old City Hall | Omer Messinger/Getty Images
Related

Why Camilla Parker Bowles’ Friends and Family Labeled Prince Charles As An ‘Absolute Pig’

The expert also believes that Camilla will make a queen consort because together she and Charles create the same “dynamic” Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband, Prince Philip, had.

“The dynamic between the Queen and Prince Philip has kind of been transferred onto Charles and Camilla and I think she will make a great queen consort and will serve him well as Prince Philip served the queen,” Stanton opined.

He concluded: “The two seem to have [an] incredible rapport with each other and always appear to be laughing. The most faked emotion is smiling or laughter but with Charles and Camilla you can tell they are sometimes like two naughty school children having fun and enjoying life and it’s clear that Charles loves her very much.”

Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.