Princess Charlotte’s ‘Spontaneous’ Gesture After Handshake Analyzed by Body Language Expert: ‘Kate Would Never’
TL;DR:
- Princess Charlotte joined Prince William and Kate Middleton at the Commonwealth Games in August 2022.
- She appeared to wipe her hand on her dress during an introduction, according to a body language expert.
- Princess Charlotte’s supposed wiping of the hand made “sense” because “some initial hesitancy or shyness would be natural” in the “complex business of getting the meet and greets right.”
A body language expert seemingly spotted Princess Charlotte doing something her mother, Kate Middleton, would “never do.” Examining footage of the now-8-year-old at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the expert noticed Charlotte appearing to wipe her hand after a handshake.
Princess Charlotte appeared to wipe her hand after shaking hands in a ‘child’s gesture’
In a solo outing with the Prince and Princess of Wales on Aug. 2, 2022, Charlotte attended the Commonwealth Games and visited the SportsAid House. Part of the visit included meeting SportsAid CEO Tim Lawler.
According to body language expert Judi James, Charlotte seemingly wiped her hand on her striped dress after shaking hands with Lawler. However, as she told Express, Charlotte’s behavior wasn’t necessarily out of the ordinary.
“If we relate this to adult behaviour [sic] it looks very much as though Charlotte is wiping her hand behind her back after shaking with someone who might, understandably, have suffered from sweaty palms,” James said. “However, this is more of a child’s gesture than an adult one.”
Charlotte wiping her hand made ‘sense’ despite Kate Middleton being her ‘role model’
The body language expert continued: “Charlotte’s role model for royal etiquette is clearly her mother and Kate would never wipe her hands after shaking.”
With that in mind, James noted Charlotte seemingly wiping her hand looked to “be a spontaneous ritual that would make sense for children.”
“Children offer their hand for a shake, and then once the shake is over, they push it shyly behind their back before the next shake,” she said. “This is a young royal being inducted into the complex business of getting the meet and greets right, and so some initial hesitancy or shyness would be natural.”
Prince William looked like he approved of Charlotte’s post-handshake behavior
Meanwhile, William showed his support for Charlotte and her introduction to the CEO, potential hand wipe included, with a gesture of his own. “Whatever her response, it clearly gets both affection and approval signals from her father,” James said.
Following the introduction, William, the expert noted, “strokes her head gently to both encourage and support his young daughter.”
During the same outing, which James called a “turning point” for Charlotte and Kate in a separate analysis, the young royal updated the Team England medal board. She added bronze and silver medals for men’s team table tennis and lawn bowls men’s pairs, respectively.
Along the way, Charlotte asked a question: ‘Where exactly should I put this?’” She also shared that she likes gymnastics.
Charlotte’s since made a number of public appearances, with the most recent being the May 2023 crowing of her grandfather, King Charles III, followed by a coronation concert and an afternoon of volunteering. Through it all, Charlotte’s demonstrated confident body language, according to the expert.
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
