06 December 2023 , 13:32
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Posing in all of their finery, the royals put on a show of unity by releasing an official photo taken before one of the year's most dazzling events.
The glittering snap shows King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales before the annual Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace, a glamorous white tie and tiara event, held for more than 500 guests. The picture, depicting a united front, comes after royal aides stressed it was “business as usual” for The Firm after Charles and Kate were dragged into a royal race row following the publication of an explosive new book by Omid Scobie.
King Charles with Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales (Getty Images)In a Dutch version of the book, they were named as the royals who allegedly spoke of "concerns" about the skin colour of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan’s son Archie. Here, body language expert Judi James analyses the photo and reveals some of the hidden signals within it...
King Charles
According to Judi, King Charles appeared to be the royal who seemed to be promoting the show of resilience the least. She explains: "Charles' eye expression looks much more distant and distracted. He is the only one in the group not looking directly into the camera and therefore the only one not 'on message' with the 'unbothered' narrative.
King Charles greets diplomats at the reception last night (PA)"Charles has never basked in the idea of meaningful press poses though, so his apparent reluctance to play ball here could be down to quiet disdain rather than unease or evasion." However, she did note: "The body poses and subtle angles here do confirm the idea of continuing unity. Charles and his eldest son stand side by side and their mirrored inward head tilts would signal aligned thinking and a sense of taking an agreed stance. Camilla and Kate are both close to their husbands, tucked in slightly behind Charles and William in another mirrored signal of support."
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Prince William and Kate
Meanwhile, Judi believes it is William who appears to be the most tense in the snap, which comes amid the explosive claims. She tells the Mirror: "William and Kate also mirror each other’s poses. William holds his clasped hands in front of his torso while Kate’s fingers touch together lightly to suggest a lack of tension.
Kate in the Lover's Knot tiara (PA)Facial expressions and especially eye expressions tend to be more revealing in terms of emotional states though and the expressions here do seem to be telling. William and Kate suggest a degree of optimism and there is some humour in William’s expression although he does seem to have acquired a trait of slightly clenched teeth as he smiles since the recent book claims, hinting at inner tension or even anger."
Queen Camilla
And finally, when it comes to Camilla, Judi says she is the one with the biggest message. She says: "Camilla’s facial expression and smile have the greatest impact here though. She normally has a tendency to look slightly nervous or passive when grouped with her husband and his glamorous son and daughter-in-law but here her facial expression is the most active of the group, picking her out at the strongest in terms of emotion and resilience.
"Her eyes communicate directly with the camera and the way they are curved into a crescent shape suggests an authentic good mood and a possible gleam of new confidence. Her mouth smile is symmetric and while William and Kate’s expressions look regal but passive, Camilla seems to be much more active in terms of promoting a look of gleaming resilience."