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The telltale signs Charles, William and Harry are nervous, according to a body language expert

Watch the full episode 14 of Yahoo UK’s show ‘The Royal Box,‘ here.

Members of the Royal Family might be used to the limelight, but that doesn’t mean the duties they carry out don’t make them nervous.

Body language expert Judi James says the Windsor men are particularly known for displaying signs of anxiety – signs that she calls, “self-comfort rituals.”

Speaking on Yahoo UK‘s ‘The Royal Box,’ Judi points out ways spectators can tell that Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry are feeling nervous.

“Charles, pocket-pat, looks for his wallet that he doesn’t carry, fiddles with his cuff and he will do those rituals quite frequently,” she says.

“William to a certain extent inherited it, but Harry did not have any.

“He has now, since he met Meghan. He’s started to look incredibly nervous. Anxious, I think is more the word rather than nervous.”

Judi says that Duke of Sussex has developed new poses, notably the “paperclip” gesture, where he uses his hand as a paperclip to hold his jacket together.

Harry has developed a “paperclip” hand gesture, shown here during his engagement photocall in November 2017. [Photo: Getty]
Harry has developed a “paperclip” hand gesture, shown here during his engagement photocall in November 2017. [Photo: Getty]

She adds: “That was just a little bit of wanting to create a protective barrier to a certain extent.

“You can see it in his face quite a lot, he’s smiling less, you see him sucking his lips and you can see him puffing slightly at different events.”

Prince Harry has always appeared to be protective of Meghan, even before they were married.

He released an unprecedented statement when they began dating, stating Meghan had been subjected to “a wave of abuse and harassment” and that he was “worried about Ms. Markle’s safety.”

Prince Charles, photographed in 2018, ‘pocket pats’ and fiddles with his cuffs when nervous. [Photo: Getty]
Prince Charles, photographed in 2018, ‘pocket pats’ and fiddles with his cuffs when nervous. [Photo: Getty]

While they made their public debut at the Invictus Games in Toronto in 2017, it was their engagement photo call where the couple would be in a more formal environment.

And Judi points out that when Harry and Meghan stepped out into the gardens at Kensington Palace to speak to the press, “she was the one that was rubbing his arm to reassure him.”

She also thinks that Harry’s body language might also be down to him “taking life a lot more seriously now.”

The father-to-be has taken on more responsibility over the past couple of years and has matured into his role.


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