Prince William was grilled this week over the recent controversial changes within the Royal Family, and responded with a firm yet polite ‘conversational swerve’
A body language expert has picked up on a subtle yet powerful “swerve” from Prince William during a grilling over his family dramas, that she reckons “many politicians would have been proud of”.
William is in Brazil this week to attend The Earthshot Prize, an annual global environmental prize that recognises significant contributions in the field of environmentalism. Although there was plenty of talk about the issue of climate change, the future king was also pressed about a topic closer to home – and it appears he was well prepared.
It’s no secret that the British Royal Family has had a challenging few weeks. William’s uncle, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, has been stripped of his titles and forced out of Royal Lodge, as controversy over his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein continues. Andrew, who has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, has now been formally asked to provide evidence to a US congressional committee investigating Epstein’s criminal network, with a response requested by November 20.
Meanwhile, William’s estranged brother Prince Harry was also accused of upstaging him after announcing his ‘peusudo-royal’ trip to Canada, clashingn with William’s high-profile Brazil event. Ahead of the COP30 climate summit, CNN reporter Christiane Amanpour pressed the Prince of Wales about the controversies unfolding behind palace doors, making reference to the father-of-three’s recent chat with actor, writer and producer Eugene Levy.
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Ms Amanpour noted: “Something that drew a lot of interest was when you said to Eugene: ‘I think it’s safe to say that change is on my agenda, change for the good. I embrace and I enjoy that change, I don’t fear it.’ You went on to say: ‘I want to make sure that this is a job that impacts people’s lives for the better, I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do.’ Given the fact that there has been a lot of change in your own family recently, talk about that a little bit. Where do you see the change, what do you think needs to happen?”
Responding with some diplomatic skill, William, 43, replied: “I think The Earthshot Prize is a classic example of change. Rather than talk about it, we’re doing it, and that’s where I want it to be. These people in here are the true action heroes of our time, and change will come by backing them, not by what I do. And so I want to surround myself with people who want to make change and do good in the world.”
Clearly refusing to get dragged into questions about his disgraced uncle or Harry and Meghan, he added: “It’s really important, you have to provide a leadership and a vision that there’s good things to come, and it’s not all negative. For my children especially, knowing the planet is going to be in a healthier, better state because of the brilliant people in this room. It’s something I love to tell them when they go to bed.”
His subtle yet pointed response garnered plenty of applause from the audience, and body language expert Judi James was also left impressed, remarking, “William performs a conversational swerve here that many politicians would have been proud of.”
Speaking with the Mirror about William’s clever ‘redirecting’ strategy, Judi told us: “When the ‘killer’ subject of his family dramas comes up, albeit gently, he is sitting in a very elegant, composed pose with his legs crossed. The mic is held in his lap, rather than up by his mouth, as many celebrities tend to do, so they can interrupt or look keen. Holding his mic away from his face like this allows him some element of control as it announces when he wants to speak, as he raises it, and when he is finished, as he lowers it again.
“There is little reaction or movement from the prince to the question, and there is a hint he was prepped for it here. His head tilts slightly to one side in a gesture of acknowledgement, though, which helps avoid looking like the proverbial rabbit caught in the headlights. His eyes remain down, though in a reflective cut-off, giving nothing away about his feelings.”
Picking up on the prince’s ‘one tell’, Judi continued: “William’s one ‘tell’ or non-verbal cue here is one that is common to many speakers, ie it emerges from the movement of his foot. The further away from the head, the less the body language tends to be controlled, which is why hands and feet can often be where the inner feelings leak from.
“William’s right toe lifts, and the movement is circular. If it had begun to tap in a metronomic ritual, he might have displayed impatience or irritation, but the lifting and more circular movements suggest he is in control of the narrative here.
“He redirects the subject away from his family and back onto his cause, goals and priorities. There’s no obvious sign of any royal power-flexing here, but his eyebrows raise, and he throws his left hand out towards the audience more than once to redirect to them and the core values of Earthshot. He then takes control by placing the mic back to his knee to announce (politely but firmly) that the subject is closed.”
Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com
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Source: Mirror
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