Prince Harry looked “dour” and he and brother Prince William “tried to ignore” each other at a public service months after their alleged rift started, a body language expert has claimed.
Since 2018, reports have been rife of a feud between Harry and William. In a piece written in November of that year, Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent Katie Nicholl claimed tensions started after a comment made by Harry to his brother at their Christmas get-together in 2017.
The younger prince appeared to openly admit the pair’s relationship had broken down by saying they were on “different paths” during an interview in South Africa in 2019.
And, just this month, the Duke of Sussex said that the brothers were having “space” apart, in his and Meghan Markle’s tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Body language expert Judi James has now looked back at one of the first appearances the brothers made together since the supposed rift started – the Anzac Day Service of April 2018 – and claimed tensions were clear.
“The body language bonding signals between these two brothers had been a joy to watch over the years and had lasted long after William married Kate,” she told Daily Star. “Harry appeared to lift William’s more formal mood and the pair were always seen having fun together during royal events.
“As is now clear though, that tight double act broke down and some non-verbal clues to that fall-out were visible here at the Anzac Day service.”
She suggested that Harry showed a significant change of emotions from glancing to his brother and Meghan.
“Like William, he smiles as he bends to greet people but when he stands back his facial expression looks wary and tense and he is seen glancing twice at his brother when William is turned away from him,” she said.
“There is no face-softening or other signals of quiet affection when Harry looks at William here, instead he seems to suck in his lips and then look down with a dour expression.
“Contrast this to Harry’s face when he looks at Meghan, where we can see the softening of the facial muscles to create an affectionate smile.”
During the service Harry, Meghan and William sat together at the front of the congregation. But Judi claimed the brothers were showing what looked like “ignore signals” to one another.
“When the two brothers sit together with Meghan in the middle we are shown what look like ignore signals, with both looking away to either side,” she said.
“Harry is picking his fingers nervously under his order of service and although William seems better at hiding his emotions there is a small muscle working in his cheek to suggest tension.”
At the end of service, Judi claimed Harry and William showed signs of feeling “trapped” – much like the Duke of Sussex suggested in his interview with Oprah.
“There is a moment at the end when the brothers finally appear to be trapped together and, again, while William manages to mask his feelings, Harry appears to make his own awkwardness and impatience much more obvious,” she told this site.
“He bangs his programme into his hand in a metronomic gesture that signals impatience, then he fiddles with his jacket buttons in a self-comfort ritual before performing some small shooing gestures with his programme as though he wants to be away.
“His blink rate becomes rapid to hint at tension and in the end it looks as though he can’t bear the awkwardness any more and he darts across to get his wife who has been happily chatting to their hosts.”