Prince William condemned the BBC for its failings with Martin Bashir’s interview with his mother, which he said had fuelled the “fear, paranoia and isolation” his mother suffered in the final years of her life”. What did his body language show?
“These failings, identified by investigative journalists, not only let my mother down, and my family down; they let the public down too.”
Speaking to Express.co.uk, expert Judi James used her expertise to analyse Prince William’s body language in the piece-to-camera statement.
She said: “William’s body language here shows a man suppressing grief, sadness and anger to deliver a message that is adult, assertive and verbally forensic.
“Words are often more powerful when the emotional content is not acted out and with William we can only see the depth of those emotions via some subtle body language cues.”
“This is a gesture that suggests leadership and quiet authority.
“His brows are puckered to suggest sadness and when he looks at the camera that sadness is unmistakable in his eye expression, but the tension in the muscles of his lips suggests intense, controlled anger.
“His upper lip tightens and pulls inward as he talks about his mother.”
When speaking about the final years with his mother, Judi explained that his “facial muscles crumple slightly”.
The expert added that this suggests he is “struggling to suppress his sadness as he speaks of his final years with his mother but then his upper lip wrinkles in a micro-gesture of disgust as he says the documentary should ‘never be aired again’”.
Judi went on: “His final gesture is inclusive and he looks at the camera and pushes the hand holding his notes outward in a non-verbal appeal for unity with the public that he says has been ‘let down too.’”
