Unlike Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Prince William and Kate Middleton are keen observers of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s ‘never complain, never explain’ rule; and this rule also involves putting on a brave face in public regardless of what is going on behind closed doors.
To their credit, the new Prince and Princess of Wales do usually follow this rule really well, especially when partaking in official royal duties. However, there have been one or two instances in the past where this hasn’t always been the case. And one moment in particular from way back in 2017 has grabbed the attention of a body language expert, as the Princess of Wales’ facial expressions and body language revealed *so* much. Spoiler alert – she was not happy!
Body Language Expert Analyzes Kate Middleton's Facial Expressions During 2017 Event In Warsaw
Body language experts tend to have a field day with the royals (remember how much the Princess of Wales' behavior was analyzed during this year's Saint Patrick's Day Parade back in March?) and this 2017 throwback was no different.
The moment that got body language expert Judi James so interested occurred when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a garden party in honor of the Queen at the Orangery in Łazienki Park, Warsaw. The event was hosted by Jonathan Knott, the British Ambassador to Poland, on July 17th, 2017. Although the Princess of Wales, 41, did indeed look like a princess in her white cocktail dress by Polish designer Gosia Baczyńska, she was betrayed by her facial expressions, as they suggested that she was "furious," according to James, most likely with her husband Prince William, 40.
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"When we see a photo of a royal looking angry or stressed it can often be a body language 'flash,' i.e. a very fleeting facial expression that has been taken out of context," James told The Express. "When we see the whole footage the message can be completely different, especially if it’s a royal like Kate, who is normally known for her pitch-perfect social smiles that she can keep in place without looking strained or inauthentic for long periods of time."
"Unlike Diana," James pointed out, "whose facial expressions could show powerfully fluctuating emotional states, Kate is an accomplished masker, meaning she does her job in exactly the way she is expected to, without any flicker of negative emotions on her face."
"Except for this occasion back in 2017 on William and Kate’s visit to Warsaw," James continued, adding that "Kate’s unsmiling facial expression looked shocking and it wasn’t just a 'flash.'" While we don’t know what could have happened to upset the Princess of Wales so much, there are many pictures which seem to suggest that Kate's anger was with her husband.
"There are several photos of the occasion that show her looking unhappy or even throwing William some pointed looks while he tried to remain neutral, with a faint, polite, closed lip smile of what looked like regret or awkwardness," James said. "Kate’s eyes looked tired, with dark smudges underneath them and at one point she appeared to be looking down while biting the inside of her mouth as though holding back her emotions." James also noticed, "As she looked out towards the waiting guests her arms looked rigid and her eye expression wary."
It wasn’t all doom and gloom on that day though, as there were also many moments captured on camera which showed the husband and wife having a great time together, as evidenced by pictures of them smiling at each other and laughing. But if any royal insiders want to give us some more insight about what those furious looks earlier on in the day were about, we would be eternally grateful!
