Prince Harry’s Body Language in Netflix Docuseries Moment Shows How He Feels About Prince William, Expert Says
In the Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, Prince Harry provided more details about the rift between him and Prince William. According to one expert, Harry’s body language conveyed exactly how he feels about his brother.
Prince Harry shares ‘heartbreaking’ way Prince William didn’t honor their agreement
Prince Harry explained how the brothers had an agreement to never brief the press about one another but William didn’t honor that agreement.
“I have 30 years experience of looking behind the curtain and seeing how this system works and how it runs,” Prince Harry said. “I mean, just constant briefings about other members of the family, about favors, inviting the press in.”
He continued, “It’s a dirty game. You know, there’s leaking, but there’s also planting of stories. So if the [communications] team want to be able to remove a negative story about their principal, they will trade and give you something about someone else’s principal.”
“So the offices end up working against each other,” he said. “You can always say, ‘I didn’t know about this,’ or ‘Don’t be ridiculous, this would never happen, I would never — are you suggesting that I condone this?’ It’s like, ‘No. But what I am asking is have you done anything to stop it?’ And the answer is no.”
The brothers decided they wouldn’t play this game. “William and I both saw what happened in our dad’s office and we made an agreement that we would never let that happen to our office.”
He explained, “I would far rather get destroyed in the press than play along with this game or this business of trading [negative stories]. To see my brother’s office copy the very same thing that we promised the two of us would never ever do, that was heartbreaking.”
Expert analyzes Prince Harry’s gestures when he talks about Prince William
Body language expert Judi James analyzed Prince Harry’s gestures and expressions when he spoke about his brother. James told The Sun, “Much of Harry’s body language is one-to-one with an invisible interviewer, with Harry adopting a power pose.”
She continued, “He sits back in his chair, his knees splayed with and with his arms also splayed to the elbow and his hands clasped, like the CEO of a company.”
James noted the change from that interview format. “Harry vanishes from screen and we are shown the story in photo form, with Harry doing the commentary,” she explained. “It’s as though he still can’t let us see his non-verbal emotional responses and reactions to his brother in any open, face-to-face reveal.”
Prince Harry’s body language when he says ‘heartbreaking’ is revealing, expert says
Harry’s body language when he says the word “heartbreaking” also says a lot about how devastated he feels. James explained, “Harry nods to clarify and confirm the strength of this word, as though we might have missed it.”
She continued, “His eye gaze becomes reflective as though still considering it in his mind and there is an exaggerated swallow that implies the brink of tearfulness.”
The body language expert noted, “As well as that though, Harry’s hands are clasped high, with his knuckles kneading into each other, hinting at a desire or a preparation to fight, despite the other signals of distress.”
Harry reveals William screamed at him during the Sandringham Summit meeting
Harry also discussed how he and Meghan hoped to have a half in/half out arrangement. He explained how poorly things went during the Sandringham Summit, with William screaming at him.
“It became very clear, very quickly that goal was not up for discussion or debate,” Harry explained. “It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me and my father say things that just simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in.”
According to James, Harry displayed “signals of innocence and persuasion” during this recollection.
She explained, “His brows are raised and his eyes widened. Over-showing the eye in this way implies truth and innocence. The thought is that the eyes can’t lie so baring them in this way projects honesty.”
The expert pointed out how Harry’s expression showed his “disbelief” about what happened in the way his lips “curl up slightly at the corners.”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
