Royal family
Find out what a body language expert noticed King Charles III doesn’t do anymore that he did for years.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have only been back in the U.K. for a few weeks, but they’ve dominated the headlines almost daily ever since. From the recent news that they had to pull their children, Archie and Lilibet, out of school to Meghan’s private number being leaked after joining a WhatsApp group to the talk about whether or not the Sussexes will receive taxpayer-funded security to the row with King Charles over the “private citizens” label.
The monarch likely isn’t pleased about all the talk centered on the duke and duchess rather than the engagements and projects the working royals have been doing. But an expert noticed that a recent outing put the king back in his “happy place.”
Darren Stanton is a body language and behavioral expert with a degree in psychology. He previously worked as a police officer and used his expertise to uncover the truth when interviewing hundreds of suspects. He later moved into media and has been dubbed the “Human Lie Detector.” Stanton frequently offers his expert analysis on high-profile public figures such as the royals.
Speaking on behalf of BetfairCasino about King Charles’ trip to the Cairngorms in Scotland on Sept. 16, Stanton told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “What really stands out to me is how completely at ease the king appears to be when he’s out in nature. It’s his happy place. It is like Princess Anne or Zara when they’re around horses. We know how much he loves nature and ecology, and you can really see that reflected in his body language. There’s a genuine sense of peace about him, as though he’s in an environment where he feels completely comfortable and able to just be himself.”
The expert continued, “His posture is very relaxed, with his shoulders down and no obvious signs of tension or stress. His breathing appears slower and more controlled, and when he’s interacting with people, his movements are calm and unhurried. There’s no sense that he feels out of his depth or uncomfortable in the environment. He looks like someone who is genuinely enjoying himself and feels very much at home.
“We also see those genuine smiles, with the crow’s feet around the eyes and clear engagement through the eyes themselves. Those are important indicators because they suggest the smiles are coming from a place of genuine enjoyment rather than simply being a social response. Even from his posture and movements, there’s a real sense of relaxation and positivity.”
Stanton added, “What’s particularly interesting is the absence of some of the self-reassuring gestures we may have seen from him in the past. We might have seen more fidgeting, hands going into his jacket pockets, playing with his cufflinks or other small repetitive movements. Those types of gestures can sometimes indicate a need to self-regulate or reassure yourself in a situation. We’re not really seeing that here.
“There’s almost a sense that he doesn’t feel the need to perform or justify himself anymore. When he’s in an environment he loves, particularly surrounded by nature, he can simply be himself. I think that’s one of the biggest changes we’ve seen in his body language. There’s a much stronger sense of authenticity about him now, and when he’s in nature, that really seems to come to the surface.”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges that conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
