Prince William’s response to Meghan Markle racism allegations analysed by body language expert

Prince William showed a desire to ‘stay in control’ and ‘strong emotions’ when he overrode his urge to walk away and hit back against Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s racism allegations, body language expert claims. 

During a visit to School2 in east London to promote a children’s mental health programme alongside wife Kate Middleton on Thursday, Prince William, 38, was asked by Sky News reporter Inzamam Rashid, ‘Is the Royal Family a racist family?’ to which he replied: ‘We’re very much not a racist family.’ 

Speaking to FEMAIL, the body language expert explained that when the question about Harry was asked, Prince William was politely listening to his host talk. 

However, his powerful desire to put his side across or to deal with the issue of the Oprah interview appeared to make him break the rules of etiquette and ignore his host to focus on the question instead.

‘Like his father Prince Charles did yesterday, he looks impelled to keep walking rather than engage, but his urge to reply is stronger,’ explained Judi. ‘Even muted by the mask we can hear what sounds like a small explosive, ironic laugh of the sort he produced when asked about conflict with Harry during the “Fab Four” launch.

Judi James went on claim that the most powerful body language signal from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was their ‘intense postural echo or mirroring traits,’ which signifies ‘like-minded thinking and agreement.’ 

Prince William showed a ‘conflicting set of body language signals’ when he publicly hit back against Harry and Meghan’s racism claims yesterday, body language expert Judi James has claimed. Pictured, William defending his family’s reputation after being asked by Sky News reporter Inzamam Rashid, ‘Is the Royal Family a racist family?’

Judi James claimed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (pictured) lean together slightly to suggest emotional and intellectual unity and team-bonding

Judi James claimed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (pictured) lean together slightly to suggest emotional and intellectual unity and team-bonding

Meghan’s claim that an unnamed royal raised concerns about Archie being ‘too brown’ was the most damaging allegation to come out of the broadcast, and caused untold damage to the Windsors’ reputation around the world.

Harry said: ‘That conversation, I am never going to share. At the time it was awkward, I was a bit shocked.’   

The Duke of Cambridge was the first royal to personally respond to the allegation during his first royal engagement since the Oprah interview, as he also revealed that he has not spoken to his brother since it came out, but added that he ‘will do’.   

‘His head-tilt suggests an acknowledgment ritual but then he steeples one brow and produces a subtle softened eye-smile as he says “No, but I intend to,” explained Judi. 

‘The speed of his reply could suggest strong emotions but he seems to try to play it down here, looking firm but also still fond at the same time, like a big brother who intends to speak to a sibling about breaking house rules.’ 

Judi also pointed out that while William was clearly impelled to speak he also used avoidance tactics – walking off quickly towards Kate and holding out an arm behind her back to steer or usher her away. 

‘He also plays with his face-mask, suggesting the use of a barrier ritual that could signal the end of the conversation,’ she explained. ‘Even rushing past though, he can’t ignore the question about racism. 

‘William turns his head, raises his brows and uses a head-baton to make his reply look firm and emphatic.’ 

The couple's visit today coincides with the roll-out of Mentally Healthy Schools resources for secondary schools and how this is helping put mental health at the heart of their schools curriculum

The couple’s visit today coincides with the roll-out of Mentally Healthy Schools resources for secondary schools and how this is helping put mental health at the heart of their schools curriculum 

During the bombshell interview on Monday, Prince Harry also hinted at the extent of the alleged rift between the two brothers, claiming that their relationship was now ‘space,’ but added he hoped time would be a healer. 

He also claimed he was ‘on different paths’ to William and spoke about his brother was ‘trapped’ in the Royal Family.  

‘Is Prince William angry? His body language looks designed to conceal it if he is,’ explained Judi. ‘His eye expression is still soft and there is no sign of a hard frown or a sharper vocal tone.’

‘The fact he answered at all is probably indicative of strong feelings and he clearly wanted to show firmness and even leadership, but his body language signals as he responds suggest a desire to stay in control and illustrate the Queen’s words of “love” for Harry and Meghan in her written reply to the Oprah interview. 

The body language expert claimed that the most powerful body language signal from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was their 'intense postural echo or mirroring traits,' which signifies 'like-minded thinking and agreement' (pictured)

The body language expert claimed that the most powerful body language signal from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was their ‘intense postural echo or mirroring traits,’ which signifies ‘like-minded thinking and agreement’ (pictured) 

Judi added that 'absorbed sitting and chatting with the children' suggested it was 'business as usual' for the royals as they got lost in a more parental role

Judi added that ‘absorbed sitting and chatting with the children’ suggested it was ‘business as usual’ for the royals as they got lost in a more parental role

Yesterday also marked the first engagement for Kate Middleton since she was accused by Meghan of making her cry in the bombshell tell-all chat. 

It was previously believed that it was Meghan who had made Kate cry during a row over bridesmaids’ dresses.

During the Oprah interview, Meghan also revealed details about their strained relationship, saying of pictures of them laughing at Wimbledon, ‘Nothing is what it looks like’, and said Kate being called ‘waity Katie’ in the press couldn’t compare to the alleged racism she faced.

‘The most powerful body language signal from William and Kate yesterday was their intense postural echo or mirroring traits,’ explained Judi.  

‘Kate made me cry’ to the Wimbledon pictures that ‘weren’t as they seemed’: Sussexes’ claims about Cambridges on Oprah 

Row that ‘made Meghan cry’ 

Reports circulated ahead of the Sussexes’ nuptials that Meghan left Kate in tears at Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress fitting.

But Meghan told Oprah the ‘reverse happened’.

Meghan said she was not sharing the information to be ‘disparaging’, but added it was ‘really important for people to understand the truth’.

‘She’s a good person,’ the duchess added

Wimbledon photos ‘not as they seemed’

Meghan also gave more details about her strained relationship with Kate.  

She was asked about a memorable joint-outing to Wimbledon, where the pair put on a united front and were pictured laughing together.

During the interview she appeared to cast doubt on the authenticity of that seemingly affable appearance, saying: ‘Nothing is what it looks like’.

‘Waity Katie’ jibe ‘not the same as racism’ 

Meghan said her treatment by the press cannot be compared to Kate being called ‘Waity Katie’ because it is ‘not the same as racism’. 

The Duchess of Sussex said she believed she had been singled out because she was ‘not just British’. She said: ‘I think the volume of what was coming in and the interest was greater because of social media, because of the fact that I was not just British…

‘If they can compare what the experience that I went through was similar to what has been shared with us, Kate was called Waity Katie, waiting to marry William.

‘While I imagine that was hard, and I do, I can’t picture what that felt like, this is not the same.’  

Harry: ‘Trapped’ William and I ‘on different paths’

When asked about if he remains close to William he replied: ‘I love William to bits. He’s my brother. 

‘We’ve been through hell together. I mean, we have a shared experience. But we’re on different paths’. 

 

‘Even back-to-back chatting to two different hosts the pair adopted identical “fig leaf” poses and sitting together or walking together here we can see them both raise their hands to their waists in mimicry or sit in similar positions as they talk to a group.’

‘This constant and often subliminal mirroring tells us of like-minded thinking and agreement. They also lean together slightly to suggest emotional and intellectual unity and team-bonding.’

She continued: ‘Absorbed sitting and chatting with the children we can see it was business as usual as they really did seem to get lost in a more parental role.

‘But otherwise their facial expressions above the masks did seem to show moments of sadness or more reflective thinking, especially from William whose intense inward puckering between the brows made him look especially sad and thoughtful at moments.’