Body Language Expert Spotted King Charles and Prince William’s ‘Tiny Sign’ of ‘Self-Soothing’ at Queen Elizabeth’s Funeral
TL;DR:
- King Charles and Prince William appeared “incredibly composed” at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, according to a body language expert.
- However, they exhibited a “tiny sign of self-soothing” when they rubbed the tops of their swords with their thumbs.
A body language expert says King Charles III and Prince William were “self-soothing” at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. The small movement, which may have gone largely unnoticed as the eyes of the world looked on, involved their military uniforms. Ahead, an expert explains the “tiny sign” the father and son appeared to exhibit at Westminster Abbey.
King Charles and Prince William looked ‘incredibly composed’ at Westminster Abbey, body language expert says
Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on Sept. 19 was an emotional day for the royal family. Although, according to communication coach, Sonia Beldon, the king and the Prince of Wales held it together.
They appeared “incredibly composed,” Beldon, who is also a cognitive behavioral therapist and executive coach, told GB News.
King Charles and William, along with other members of the royal family, walked in a procession from Westminster Hall, where the queen had been lying in state. After a nearly 60-minute service at Westminster Abbey, they followed the queen’s lead-lined coffin to the Wellington Arch, where the journey continued to Windsor Castle.
A body language expert saw a ‘tiny sign of self-soothing’ from Prince William and King Charles at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral
The king and Prince of Wales appeared to subtly calm themselves during Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. “A tiny sign of self-soothing is seen as they rub the top of their swords with their thumbs,” Beldon noted. Calling it a “mini version of massaging the thumb,” she described it as a “pacifying gesture.”
In addition to the discrete “self-soothing,” Boden pointed out how the king handled himself when the congregation sang “God Save the King.”
“The slight parting of his lips in a horizontal in-breath,” she explained, “is a sign of grief, which he is controlling brilliantly.”
Prince George seemed to ‘check’ on Prince William at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, body language expert says
Body language expert Judi James saw Prince George, 9, in a more “grown-up” role at his great-grandmother’s funeral.
“Prince George walked beside his father and, despite some glances thrown from William down to his son, George’s upright posture suggested he needed little in the way of reassurance,” James told Fabulous per The Sun.
George, now third in the royal family’s line of succession, even appeared to “check” on William.
“The expression he threw up at his father” seemed “more like a warm smile of concern to check he was OK,” she said.
William wasn’t the only one getting through the funeral with support from George. James said there were “moments” when the Prince and Princess of Wales were both “benefiting from the support and reassurance George and Princess Charlotte, 7, “rather than the other way round.”
Other, more outright displays of emotion, came from Charlotte and Meghan Markle. Charlotte burst into tears after Queen Elizabeth’s funeral service at Westminster Abbey. Meanwhile, cameras captured the Duchess of Sussex wiping away a tear.
