Body language specialist gives her take on Fab Four
A body language expert has shared what she believes was happening for Prince William, Kate, Harry and Meghan during Wednesday’s lying-in-state ceremony for Queen Elizabeth II.
Body language and connection specialist Katia Loisel told 7News that William and Kate seemed “highly distressed” and “struggling to hold it together” during the procession at Westminster Hall, pointing to their lowered heads, furrowed brows and tension in the neck and mouth as indicators.
“The more pronounced the lip compression, as is the case with Prince William - his lips pressed together, rolling inwards until they have completely disappeared - indicate extreme levels of discomfort and stress,” she said.
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan holding hands - which is a break with formality - was a sign they had a “desire to connect and be close to one another”.
One photo where William and Kate looked forlorn and Harry and Meghan were behind them looking at each other offered an “interesting non-verbal perspective” on the difference between the couples according to Loisel.
“Prince Harry and Meghan use both contact tie signs, such as holding hands, and non-contact tie signs, such as postural echoing, their bodies orientated inwards towards one another, and mutual gaze in a mutual display of support and reassurance,” she said.
“Prince Harry and Meghan use both contact tie signs, such as holding hands, and non-contact tie signs, such as postural echoing, their bodies orientated inwards towards one another, and mutual gaze in a mutual display of support and reassurance.”
Loisel added that the couples’ differences were more evident in moments where William and Kate stood apart while Harry and Meghan held hands.
She explained that the separation between the newly-appointed Prince and Princess of Wales was “reflective of their roles and the seriousness of the occasion”.
The expert noted Kate’s downcast eyes, lack of facial muscle tones, slightly compressed lips, swallowing and rapid blinking, which she said suggested the royal was “on the verge of tears”.
William shared a similar expression, reflected in the tightness of his eyebrows, droopy upper lids, compressed lips and lowered corners of his mouth.
After Harry and Meghan kept a “more formal distance” during the ceremony, Loisel said their move to join hands showed they were “non-verbally seeking each other out” in an attempt to reduce stress and share “support and reassurance” with each other.
Loisel noted that the former prince was more visibly relaxed upon reconnecting with his wife, after exhibiting signs of being visibly in distress, including a heightened blink rate, lowered head, shifting weight, swaying, lip licking, swallowing, and use of pacifying gestures.
She also commented on a now-viral clip of the two couples greeting fans outside Windsor Castle, where Kate flashed a stern look at her sister-in-law.
Loisel said the interaction would undoubtedly have affected Meghan’s self-confidence, noting that she appeared uneasy during her public appearance with her husband, William and Kate.
“Quite unlike the confident Meghan we know, Meghan appeared ill at ease during this encounter, which is not surprising given the recent criticism that she has faced,” she told Seven News.
She added that Wiliam appeared to make an effort with Meghan, but claimed Kate was acting as though she was trying to “freeze out” Meghan.
“On numerous occasions Meghan looked over at Kate, however, the gaze wasn't reciprocated,” Loisel said, going on to say Kate chose to “look through” Meghan instead.
“Meghan's hand lifted hesitantly as if to wave, but stopped mid-air, rather pausing to adjust her hair, her head and gaze lowered, before looking up and giving a quick wave, her arm coming back to rest in front of her body in a partial arm barrier,” Katia added, pointing out that Harry seemed to notice, touching her arm gently and coming to her side to protect her.
The group outing marked the first time all four have been spotted together in public since Commonwealth Day in 2020, just weeks before COVID-19 lockdowns were first introduced.
Once dubbed the “fab four”, the royals were greeted with applause from the public as they walked along the gates of Windsor Castle.
During the rest of the walk, believed to have lasted around 30 minutes, the couples appeared to remain separate and barely interact with each other.
During certain points of the walk, all four split up to greet and speak with members of the public individually.
Images: Getty Images