Body Language Expert Says Prince Harry Displayed More ‘Confidence’ Without Meghan While Speaking in Germany Despite Nerves Over Pronunciation
All eyes were on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle when they returned to the U.K. in early September for an event in Manchester before traveling to Düsseldorf, Germany for the Invictus Games’ One Year to Go countdown. While there, the Duke of Sussex delivered a speech and gave a few remarks in German.
Now, body language expert Darren Stanton is sharing with Showbiz Cheat Sheet his take on how Harry appears more “confident” doing speeches himself without Meghan there.
Prince Harry didn’t look ‘entirely confident’ when he first arrived in Düsseldorf
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived to the German city by ferry on Sept. 6. Germany is set to host the Invictus Games at Merkus Spiel arena in 2023. Upon their arrival Harry didn’t look “entirely confident,” according to Stanton.
Speaking on behalf of Betfair Bingo, the body language expert took note of the gestures Harry made that showed he wasn’t too confident when he first got to the country.
“As Harry and Meghan arrived in Düsseldorf to greet the crowds, we had a number of telling gestures from Prince Harry that suggested he started off not entirely confident,” Stanton observed, adding, “Namely, he played with his ring finger which is a self-reassurance gesture in what may have been a nerve-wracking appearance to begin with.”
Expert says the duke ‘came into his own’ during speech in German
Stanton analyzed Harry’s body language later in the day when he appeared without his wife to speak at a press conference.
“He gave two separate speeches while appearing solo — it’s always very intriguing to see just how different Prince Harry is when he’s on his own. His body language is open and passionate and he stands symmetrically,” Stanton explained. “He is also very animated with his hands and his voice tone is a consistent level and his face does not flush up or go red. Harry’s initial speech at the smaller reception in Düsseldorf saw him deliver the introduction in German and then he had some laughter and banter with the audience over his pronunciation.”
Stanton pointed out that despite Harry showing he was nervous as he mimicked wiping sweat off his forehead after speaking in German, he really “came into his own” when he delivered his solo speech.
Stanton said: “It’s clear that Prince Harry is still a charismatic man with a great sense of humor and sense of fun. However, he really comes into his own when appearing alone at engagements as seen through his open body language as he engaged playfully with the assembled crowd, demonstrating his confidence in that environment.”
Harry ‘took a backseat’ during Meghan’s speech
Stanton also noted that Harry’s body language during his turn in the spotlight was much different than the day before when he accompanied Meghan to an event in Manchester where she was the keynote speaker.
“His demeanor in Düsseldorf was very different compared to the previous day when he was accompanying Meghan as she gave a speech at the One Young World summit in Manchester,” Stanton opined. “While accompanying her, his persona was more muted as he took a backseat. To be specific, we saw more self-reassurance gestures from Prince Harry like the biting of the lip and the reddening of the face with the body language becoming less animated.”
