A body language expert remarked today that Prince Harry’s “lack of body engagement” during his walkabout in London allowed him the opportunity for a graceful exit if he encountered a negative reception.
The Duke of Sussex greeted crowds as he departed St Paul’s Cathedral alone yesterday after attending a service to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. Despite being met with cheers from well-wishers, he maintained a cheerful demeanor as he shook hands and interacted with hundreds of people who had gathered to greet him.
According to the body language expert, Judi James, Prince Harry clearly signaled the walkabout as a “brief and impromptu” event through his body language cues. These included gestures such as bending towards the crowd and hunching his shoulders, suggesting that it was not a pre-planned occasion but rather a spontaneous interaction. James also noted signs of “inner anxiety” displayed by Harry both before and after the service.
Harry’s approach to the crowd indicated a degree of distance, as he stood apart and leaned in from afar rather than engaging in a more immersive form of greeting and conversation. This lack of full-body engagement may have provided him with an opportunity for a dignified exit if the reception had been unfavorable.
While Harry appeared excited and relieved to meet fans in the UK, his expressions of inner anxiety observed before the service persisted during the walkabout and may have even intensified.
Notably, his hand-to-waist gesture upon entering the service served as a barrier ritual, whereas on exiting, he placed his hand flat across his stomach and engaged in buttonhole fiddling, indicating a desire for self-comfort. This gesture, shared with his brother William, has been associated with deeper emotions, particularly related to discussions about his mother.
She said his ‘lack of body engagement probably gives him the option of a face-saving exit if his reception is less than warm’.
Ms James added: ‘Harry’s wreathed grin with eye crinkling suggests he might be excited and relieved to meet fans in the UK.’
Upon leaving the cathedral around 6pm yesterday, Harry interacted with the crowds and was overheard inquiring with two fans from New York about their reason for visiting the UK.
Upon learning that they were attending a wedding, the Prince humorously quipped, asking if the wedding was “in there,” referring to St Paul’s.
He also engaged in playful banter with an enthusiastic fan who eagerly extended her arms, holding two phones to capture the best shot of Harry.
‘Why have you got two phones?’ he laughed. ‘It doesn’t make sense!’
The crowd was closely monitored by police officers, and amidst shouts of ‘we love you Harry,’ others screamed with excitement until Harry entered a Range Rover and was driven away.
Earlier, Harry arrived at St Paul’s shortly before 5pm for the service, which was attended by close relatives of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, as well as a mentor who supported him following her passing, along with hundreds from the ‘Invictus family.’
Reflecting on his arrival, Ms. James noted that there were visible “signals of inner anxiety” as he made his way into the service, which persisted during the subsequent walkabout and may have even intensified.
She said: ‘Harry’s hand to waist gesture on his way into the service was a barrier ritual masking as a buttoning of his jacket.
‘On his way out though he is placing his hand flat across his stomach and even switches hands when he goes to do handshakes with the crowd. At one point his left hand also pulls his jacket across and he starts to fiddle with the buttonhole.’
She added that the ‘placing of the flat of the hand across the stomach’ is a ‘barrier ritual’ which he shares with his estranged brother Prince William.
Ms James continued: ‘Combined with the buttonhole fiddling it implies a desire to self-comfort. For Harry it is linked to deeper emotions too as he has used it in the past when he has been speaking about his mother. ‘
