Prince Harry’s Recent Appearance and Jokes Prove He Has Become ‘Less Withdrawn’ and Overcame ‘Sensory Overload,’ According to Expert

Things weren’t going great for Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle as the calendar’s turned from 2023 to 2024. The couple was supposed to launch a big comeback and announce new projects that had nothing to do with the royals. However, they landed right back in the headlines with the prince’s family.

First, with the release of the royal-bashing book Endgame and the accusations that Meghan had provided information for it. Then with the biography Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story. which challenged the Sussexes’ claim that the late Queen Elizabeth II gave them her blessing to name their daughter Lilibet.

But some positive news came when the Duke of Sussex was honored at the Living Legends of Aviation Awards on Jan. 19. The prince gave a speech in a room with some of Hollywood’s elite and now a body language expert is weighing in on the tell-tale signs that prove Harry has “found his feet and niche” amongst the LA crowd. 

Expert breaks down Prince Harry’s demeanor as he delivered his acceptance speech

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, Stanton has analyzed the duke’s appearance at the awards.

Speaking on behalf of Betfair Roulette, Stanton said: “Prince Harry appeared really at ease in terms of his delivery at the Aviation Awards. He’s improved in his ability to interact with people. He came over really confident and there were a lot of genuine smiles. There was a great headshot with Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe, which showed him displaying an authentic smile. They were both beaming and had crow’s feet on their faces. I do think he is supremely confident whilst attending these sort of events now.

“Initially, it was a bit of what we call sensory overload in psychology. Los Angeles can be quite an overwhelming place and we often saw Harry feeling this in the past. In the early stages of living there, we would often see him showing clear signs of nervousness, uneasiness, and lack of self-esteem. However, as time has gone on, he’s most definitely found his feet and established himself.”

The expert added that the duke seems to have found his “niche” which has allowed him to become less “withdrawn.”

Stanton explained: “The more space we tend to take up as human beings denotes how confident we are in our own skin. Initially, we would see Prince Harry being quite withdrawn and smaller in terms of stature. Previously he would lower his shoulders, his eye contact wouldn’t be that great, and his voice would be lower in volume and less prominent. All these things have dramatically increased over the past few years. Overall, I do feel that he has found happiness in America and found his niche and his feet.”

Former royal butler says Harry’s joke on stage was reminiscent of ‘usual down-to-earth self’

John Travolta presented Harry with the award before the prince made a joke about the actor famously dancing with his late mother.

Grant Harrold, who was King Charles’ butler from 2004 to 2011 and also looked after Prince William and Harry whenever they stayed at Highgrove House, shared that the joke reminded him of how the duke always used to act.

In an interview with Slingo Grant said: “This seems like a really heartfelt speech — obviously, Diana was a big part of his life and Harry has openly spoken about her … Having that connection between his mother and John would have meant a lot to Harry, he would have appreciated the sentiment that the actor was there presenting his award. It was quite a special moment for Harry. I’m not surprised he chose to make a few jokes and teased John during his speech, Harry’s very much like that. He’s got that humor and down-to-earth side to him. 

“Despite all the negative stuff that has happened over the last couple of years, it hasn’t really put Harry back in any kind of way. What you saw on stage was Harry still very much his usual self. He’s confident and he’s happy and he’s obviously thrilled to have been given this award.” 

Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.