Why Prince William's Body Language Speaks Volumes About His Surprising Statement
Written by Frances Dean
So far, 2021 has offered us as much drama as any season of The Crown ever has. Let's recap, though, because there's a lot of info to keep in mind when you're talking about this generation of the royals. It all started in 2020 when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle told the world they were leaving the royal family to live their lives as private citizens in California. The surprising decision came on the heels of several years of mistreatment by the British press and rumors about deeper issues within the family.
Fast forward a year (and some lucrative streaming contracts) later, and Meghan and Harry made a comeback. The couple joined Oprah Winfrey for a highly anticipated 90-minute interview during which they spoke openly about their struggles with Harry's family. Among the bombshells they revealed were the claims that Meghan was denied help for suicidal thoughts and that certain royal family members were concerned about how dark their children's skin would be. If you're shocked, so was Oprah. Meghan refused to reveal who asked about Archie's skin, and Harry would only note that it was neither his grandfather nor his grandmother.
Press confronted Prince William days later and asked him head-on if the royal family was racist. He replied calmly no (seriously, what else was he gonna say?), and that was that. Well, or so it seemed. Nicki Swift asked an expert to analyze Will's body language in the exchange, and let's just say her analysis tells a different story.
Is Prince William struggling post-Oprah interview?
Days after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's explosive interview, Prince William was confronted by the press. When visiting an elementary school with his wife, Katherine Middleton, a reporter asked the heir to the throne if the royal family is racist. William responded, "We're very much not a racist family," and then hurried off. Neither he nor Kate looked thrilled.
Nicki Swift spoke exclusively to Lauren Cohen, a body language expert and executive and career coach, to find out what's going on with William, and it seems there's a lot he left unsaid. Cohen noted that William seemed very stressed. "Prince William did not quite know what to do with his hands, so he touched his face, reached out for Kate, and he put his hands together," she said. "Putting hands together and the self-rubbing gestures help dissipate stress. It is self-pacifying when someone feels nervous."
It's easy to understand why William is under such stress, as Harry and Meghan's interview has cast an unfavorable light on the palace, an institution many believe has outlived its use. "He is visibly stressed based on his body language," Cohen reiterated. That's a bummer, but the good news is Kate and Will seem to be as strong as ever. "[Will] reached out to Kate and further her along, protect her, and also because he gains strength from being with her," Cohen told Nicki Swift. "They have a strong relationship, so physically reaching out to her empowers him."