Prince Andrew Flexed His ‘Authority’ Leading British Royals at Memorial — Body Language Expert
Just weeks after returning to the headlines because of a Netflix movie trailer, Prince Andrew stepped out for a royal family event. The Duke of York joined other royals at a memorial service for the late king of Greece. According to a body language expert, Andrew put on an authoritative air, but it was his smile that proved “most haunting.”
Andrew played the role of the ‘royal sheepdog’ arriving at the memorial
On Feb. 27, 2024, Andrew made an appearance at Windsor Castle, honoring King Constantine II of the Hellenes. He attended a memorial service for the last king of Greece, who died in January 2023, alongside other British — and European — royals at St. George’s Chapel.
The same place where Queen Elizabeth II’s committal service took place in 2022, as well as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding in 2018.
Andrew led members of the British royal family who were present, ranging from Princess Anne, Zara Tindall, and Queen Camilla to his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and oldest daughter, Princess Beatrice.
According to body language expert Judi James, Andrew made a telling arrival at the chapel.
“Walking in the front line with Anne’s husband Tim, Andrew seems to have placed himself in the role of royal sheepdog,” she told Mirror. The Duke of York walked “ahead and slightly to the side while glancing back to check everyone” was “keeping up and herded into the church.”
Andrew, she added, “even walks backwards [sic] at one point to check out the others as they are greeting their host by the door.”
Andrew’s attendance at the memorial came as two senior royals were notably absent, King Charles III and Prince William. The king couldn’t attend the service due to cancer treatment in London, England.
As for the Prince of Wales, the 41-year-old was scheduled to deliver a reading at the memorial before backing out at the last minute due to a “personal matter.” Kensington Palace followed the news with a brief update on Kate Middleton’s recovery from abdominal surgery in January 2024, saying she “continues to be doing well.”
The Duke of York’s ‘very odd gesture of superiority’ outside St. George’s Chapel
James continued, highlighting Andrew’s “dominant and emphatic hand gesticulation” as a “power move.” One “world leaders use to suggest dominance and authority when walking with other leaders.”
Andrew’s hand movement suggested a “sense” of “authority,” which the 64-year-old underscored when “chatting to the clergyman in full regalia.”
Andrew appeared to be “standing up close and personal, and actually holding the man by the upper arm.” However, it was a “power pat” James described as “odd.”
“Andrew even delivers a casual power pat on the bishop as he walks away, which is a very odd gesture of superiority that few people would land on a clergyman like this,” she explained.
Expert dubbed Andrew’s ‘mirthless grin’ his ‘most haunting gesture’ at the memorial service
In addition to various “power” moves, Andrew flashed a “mirthless grin,” which James called the “most haunting gesture” of them all.
“Performed at a memorial service when everyone else is looking solemn, it looks lacking in empathy,” the expert explained.
Furthermore, the fact that it seemingly arrived out of “nowhere” and disappeared “just as quickly” suggested to James it “might have been a message of bravado” to “cameras and the public rather than a signal of authentic pleasure.”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
