Prince William Was Trying to Hold In Anger on Commonwealth Day

Who knew posture could say so much?

BRITAIN-ROYALS-COMMONWEALTH
(Image credit: PHIL HARRIS)

On Monday, Prince William and Kate Middleton attended Commonwealth Day services alongside Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, marking the last time the Fab Four would be at an event together representing the royal family.

During the bittersweet event, held at London's Westminster Abbey, the couples were seated apart from each other (they didn't enter or walk together either), adding fuel to the fire of rumors that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision to leave royal life behind has only furthered the rift between Harry and William.

Following the event, Marie Claire chatted with Patti Wood, body language expert and author of Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma, to get insight into how William and Kate were really feeling at their last outing with Harry and Meghan.

Red, Event, Human, Gesture, Employment,

(Image credit: BBC)

"He's doing a comfort palm, that palm down on his leg, which is comforting and suppressing his emotional state or he's trying to suppress how he's feeling," says Wood about William's posture during the ceremony. "The fist on top of that is an indication that he is suppressing slight amount of anger and if you go all the way up to the mouth, he's doing a lip compression, which also says, 'I'm suppressing my true emotional state.' The furrowed brow that would say, it's anger as well."

As for the Duchess of Cambridge, she felt different from her partner, according to Wood. "There's a slight pursing of the lips and slight sadness in the eye that we see. The pursing of the lips is more like, 'This doesn't taste good to me,' and then the sadness in the eye is "This is sad.'"

Commonwealth Day Service 2020

(Image credit: WPA Pool)

William's feelings definitely didn't waver after the ceremony.

"He's got a slight lip suppression, very slight, titled at one side, he has conflicted feelings on trying to hide how he's feeling, but the glare is an angry glare," Wood explains.

Commonwealth Day Service 2020

(Image credit: Chris Jackson)

As for Harry, Wood couldn't help but noticing that the Duke looked very tired.

"It looks like he hasn't slept," she commented. "That's what it looks like when a man has come back to barracks or back from the line of battle and that they're just sort of in that dizzy place."

Perhaps it's all the recent "heart-to-hearts" with the Queen, or maybe it's all the transatlantic flights, but it seems likely that Harry and Meghan will look forward to their break.

For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

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Bianca Rodriguez
Audience Development Manager

Bianca Rodriguez is the Audience Development Manager at Future, covering fashion, beauty, and more for Marie Claire, Who What Wear US and Who What Wear UK. In addition to spearheading SEO content across brands—whether writing about wardrobe must-haves or strategizing how to make eye-catching content—she is also an avid reader with a deep love and knowledge for books of all genres. More often than not, you can find her lounging with a good book on the weekend.

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