King Charles’ Actions’ With His Grandchildren Goes Against Prince Harry’s ‘Spare’ Claim
We’ve heard a lot over the years about what goes on behind the scenes in the lives of members of the royal family. There have been several books (including Prince Harry’s Spare) and television programs diving into the private lives of the royals.
Now there is a documentary pulling back the curtain on the rehearsals before one of the biggest events in the family’s history. And some royal watchers noticed that King Charles‘ actions with his grandchildren goes against a claim Harry made in his book.
Here’s more on that and what a body language expert observed the monarch doing that really shows his “humility.”
King Charles seen embracing his grandchildren in TV program
In the documentary Charles III: The Coronation Year, the king and the Wales family are seen gathering at Westminster Abbey for the coronation rehearsals. After greeting Prince William and the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton), King Charles bends down and hugs all three of his grandchildren. For many royal watchers, the fact that Charles embraced Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince Louis brought to mind something Prince Harry wrote in his memoir.
In Spare, the Duke of Sussex claimed: “The older generation maintained a nearly zero-tolerance prohibition on all physical contact. No hugs, no kisses, no pats. Now and then, maybe a light touching of cheeks — on special occasions. No matter how much you might love someone, you could never cross that chasm between, say, monarch and child. Or Heir and Spare.”
Harry’s statement is in conflict with what Charles did in the documentary and what one bishop recalled about how the royals act behind the scenes.
“I think what struck me particularly was how extraordinarily affectionate they are,” Bishop of Hereford Richard Jackson said. “They’re clearly a very close family, all the generations. In a sense, you felt you’re part of a family occasion as well as a royal occasion and a national occasion.”
The king also made jokes in the documentary which shows ‘humility,’ expert says
Darren Stanton is a body language and behavioral expert with a degree in psychology. He previously worked as a police officer and used his expertise to uncover the truth when interviewing hundreds of suspects. He later moved into media and TV as a consultant and has been dubbed the “Human Lie Detector.” Now, he’s offering his take on how King Charles came across in the documentary.
Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, Stanton said: “There are many documentaries which show the human behind the mask. You get to see the real person and persona. Charles is quite a humorous man, I think he likes a good joke. You can clearly see the love that he’s got for his family. He is a family man at the heart of it all. It’s also clear that William also loves his father very much. There is a lot of love between them.
“Charles went on to joke about his ‘sausage fingers’ to Prince William at the rehearsal. As the King of England, having the ability to laugh at yourself and be self-deprecating is an amazing trait to have as it shows humility. Previously, I don’t think he would’ve had the calmness and ability to do that, he was quite a different man in earlier years. But he is now mellowed and grounded … He can have a laugh at his own expense.”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
