At the annual Commonwealth Day service in London today, King Charles seemed shaken and anxious about the protesters outside the church, while the Prince and Princess of Wales seemed confident and determined, according to body language expert Judi James
King Charles seemed ‘less assured’ than Prince William as he arrived at the annual Commonwealth Day service in London today, where anti-monarch protesters demanded answers about the Andrew scandal, according to an expert. As the Royal Family arrived at Westminster Abbey, protestors from the anti-royalist group Republic held placards that read “Abolish the monarchy” and “Down with the crown”, while another sign read “What did you know?”, in relation to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s recent arrest.
Some protesters held signs featuring images of Andrew that were released in the Epstein files, writing above the photos: “Charles, what did you know?” as they could be heard chanting “Not my King” and “Charlie, Charlie, time to go” as the royals ignored the calls and walked calmly into the church.
READ MORE: Kate Middleton’s four-word comment to William after tense Andrew chat caught by lip readerREAD MORE: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce another bombshell overseas ‘royal tour’
And according to body language expert Judi James, the Prince and Princess of Wales showed a determination to get on with their royal duties, even in the face of the furious protesters. Judi told the Mirror: “Studiously ignoring the huge bank of banners and posters advertising anti-monarchy sentiments, William and Kate appeared to be showing non-verbal signals of peak confidence on their arrival with what looked like a bid to dampen down all the dramas that have plagued the royals at this event, both historically and currently.”
She explained: “They showed three key traits that suggested a desire to just get on with the job of being royal here: firstly the choice of classic, professional looking navy for their outfits rather than anything more eye catching, showy or extrovert. Kate even opted for power-dressing with her sharply tailored shoulder pads. Then there was their pace and William’s gait. He moved at speed with what looked like a military gait with his shoulders squared and arms swinging.
“Third was the way the couple met up around the side of their car and immediately began to mirror each other with the matching, almost marching walk. Kate flashed her perfect smile at people manning the gates but overall this ‘intentional’ display from the couple suggested strength and a brusque, ‘clean slate’-style desire to just get on with the job.”
With Prince William and Princess Kate being the picture of royal perfection at the annual event, Judi admitted the same could not be said for King Charles, who seemed “less assured” than his son as his “anxious” behaviours were on show on the short walk from the car to the steps of Westminster Abbey.
Judi said: “Charles looked rather less assured than his son here. Although his smile suggested he was delighted to attend, he performed four acts of auto-contact in the short walk from the gates to the abbey entrance, pushing his left hand deep into his jacket pocket and out again twice and straightening his tie before patting his pocket in what looked like self-comfort, self-soothing rituals prompted by inner anxiety.”
As the senior royals entered the church, they all warmly greeted each other with kisses and comforting touches, as they spoke casually before the service officially began. And as Judi said: “This very compact royal group look almost like a survivors club, performing some exceptionally effusive greeting rituals complete with several ‘upgrade’ gestures of affection like bicep-rubs and cheek-kissing.
“Charles looks almost surprised and delighted to see them all there waiting for him to join them. He throws both arms out at his son in a gesture that is part mimed hug and part mock surprise, and he throws his arms out again to his sister, this time in what is purely a mimed hug of affection and it’s touching and telling to see these two royal siblings kissing and touching in a display where Anne is left performing an awkward curtsy thanks to the warm affection from her older brother. “
The Commonwealth Day service marks the first major event on the Royal Family ’s calendar for the year, and is also the first time the senior royals have gathered together since Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest.
While many senior royal were in attendance, two were noticeably missing. Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, were not in attendance today as they have been in Italy at the Milan and Cortina Winter Paralympics to support Paralympics GB. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, were also not in attendance.
The Commonwealth Service, which has been held since 1972, celebrates the diverse people and cultures of the Commonwealth nations. The Commonwealth is an association of 54 member states with a combined population of 2.4 billion citizens, almost a third of the world’s people.
The annual church service is the highlight of a week-long series of events and activities happening around the Commonwealth, including faith and civic gatherings, debates, school assemblies, flag-raising ceremonies and cultural events.
Ahead of the service, King Charles used his Commonwealth Day message to highlight how the institution has “untapped potential for prosperous trade between trusting partners”. The monarch praised the “precious” Commonwealth, describing it as a forum for “honest discussion” aimed at improving the lives of billions in an “increasingly fragmented” world.
Charles added in his message: “Our Commonwealth of Nations holds untapped potential for prosperous trade between trusting partners. With nearly two-thirds of our population under the age of 30, we are a family defined by youth and possibility.
“It is our shared responsibility to ensure that they inherit not only hope and ambition, but also a world in which they can flourish. That inheritance depends upon the health of our planet and on the restoration of the natural world on which we depend. Across so many parts of our Commonwealth climate change is not an abstract or distant threat, but a lived reality.
