‘Shy’ Prince George’s ‘Confident’ Handshake Proves He’s Becoming More Like Prince William and Princess Diana— Body Language Expert
Move aside, Prince William and Kate Middleton. Prince George has handshakes down. According to a body language expert, the Prince and Princess of Wales’s oldest child has shown he’s “confident” shaking hands. Whereas, previously, the young royal’s been spotted “waiting his turn.”
Prince George’s handshake: he no longer needs any encouragement
Maybe it took turning 10 in July 2023 or making more public appearances. Whatever the cause, George has shown he’s more confident, according to Judi James, a body language expert.
“When George was younger, it often took a small nudge or touch on the back to encourage him to step forward and shake hands on royal visits,” James told Express.
Today, not so much. At the Rugby World Cup in Marseilles, France, during an October 2023 outing with his father, James noticed George’s confident handshake.
“He’s now adopted a much more confident, assertive style,” she observed. “And instead of waiting his turn, he will often be pre-emptive by stepping up to instigate the greeting ritual.”
A small movement, yes, but one with a big meaning. It demonstrates the heir to the throne is “gradually evolving from the small boy who is waiting to perform body language.” Not to mention that he’s been “carefully coached.”
It’s signaled George is now a “young prince who is beginning to see his ability to put the people he is meeting at ease in the same way that his grandmother [Princess Diana] and father famously did/do,” James explained.
Examining George’s handshake, she noted his “relatively firm” grip, use of “eye contact,” and “small talk.”
“For a rather shy boy, he is showing so many of his father’s body language traits as he begins to move towards [sic] his teenage years,” James said, noting how William has acted as “George’s mentor.”
Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis may play a role in George’s growing confidence
Lessons from William and Kate aren’t, perhaps, the only reason why George has had a confidence boost. According to James, his younger sister and brother may have something to do with it.
“There are two other possible reasons why George is becoming more confident and even taking the lead with his handshakes through his two younger siblings,” she said. “Charlotte has had a duck-to-water approach to royal appearances and protocol. Even nudging her brothers to remind them when they seem to be getting it wrong.”
Meanwhile, “Louis is the fearless sibling that both George and Charlotte appear to be taking under their wing at public appearances.”
“George wouldn’t want to look shy while his sister is stepping ahead confidently,” James said. Additionally, “his role as mentor to Louis would also create a surge in his own ability to get it right as he now seems to be a similar role model to his young brother as his father is to him.”
George, Louis, and Charlotte’s body language suggests they get ‘royal etiquette training’ from William and Kate
James continued, saying it appears George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis get schooled in “royal etiquette” by their parents. “All three royal children display hints that their behind-the-scenes royal etiquette training has been quite comprehensive,” she said. “But they do seem to be enjoying some of the rituals. Which means their schooling has also been relatively relaxed and even fun.”
“Their behaviours [sic] and the way that they are all so well-choreographed as a family unit suggests it is William and Kate who have been doing the training themselves. Both must be total experts and probably the best choice when it comes to keeping their children relaxed and relatively pressure-free in public.”
As for the “strongest hint” William and Kate are behind George, Charlotte, and Louis’s manners, it’s all in the timing.
“Their timing when it comes to greeting rituals is impeccable,” she said. “Which is probably the strongest hint that they have done it themselves.”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
