King Charles and Prince Harry have revealed their inner emotions with unusual body language at the coronation, an expert has said. The King, who is known to carry his own fountain pen for when he is frequently called on to sign visitors’ books during royal visits, grimaced when he screwed the top back on the pen after signing the Oath during the coronation service.
When he signed documents during his first Privy Council meeting in September, Charles generated comments on social media when he gestured for an ornate pen holder to be taken away by an aide.
Later it was back in place, after privy councillors used its pens to sign documents, but Charles once again took offence to the item, when called upon to give his signature, and pulled a face before it was removed again.
The grimacing may be down to pain in the King's hands, which appeared swollen.
Aside from the expression, an expert says the King appears relaxed.
Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, Darren Stanton said: "As King Charles made his way into Buckingham Palace, we got the first glimpse of our soon to be crowned King through the car window. His eyebrows were together and pulled down - it’s not specifically sadness, but it does signify concern or slight worry. Obviously, the Coronation is the biggest day of his life, so he’s showing some apprehension and nervousness - this really denotes the fact that he is a human being just like everyone else. Yes, he is King, but he can also feel nerves and butterflies like the rest of us. The key things to note from looking at that first shot of Charles is that his expressions reveal the enormity of the situation and the overwhelming feeling he is experiencing in that moment.
"As Charles reached the Abbey, we saw a confidence come over him in terms of his posture, he’s not made any gestures with his hands at all, while that’s difficult in his robes to do so anyway, the key things we haven’t seen are those pacifying gestures, like hands tucked in his jacket or playing with his cufflinks. Instead, he is holding a strong and still posture, his facial expressions show that sat during the ceremony, he’s beginning to feel at ease and is sitting naturally - showing that he is ready for this moment, he has waited his whole life for.
"Both Charles and Camilla look very stoic and solemn as they sit there on their thrones. They have a new air of confidence between them. Camilla looks very proud as she’s sat there alongside Charles and is displaying signs of elation, watching on as Charles takes on the role he was always destined for.
"Harry doesn’t seem fazed by the fact he is on his own, he seems to be quite happy. In fact he was showing genuine happiness and doesn’t appear to be like a fish out of water or self-conscious at all. Instead, as a solo figure, he is happy to be himself and his first appearance at the Coronation he appears content and his body language is confident.
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"Kate is dressed in her superhero colours red or blue, this denotes confidence and power, which is quite significant as usually with major events such as these Kate chooses softer colours in order to take more of a backseat role and shy away from the spotlight to let others shine. She and William are both flashing genuine smiles of enjoyment.
"There were moments where Camilla looked tense or slightly stressed during the ceremony, however, as it went on we saw her relax more and more. Once it ended she looked, not entirely relieved, but there was a sense of calm. She appeared content that Charles has achieved his life’s goal. She kept herself very composed and didn’t reveal too much emotion, there weren't signs of huge elation on her face and she didn’t get emotional, which is a testament to her character and the strength and stoicness she possesses. It’s her traits like these which exemplify why Charles sees Camilla as his rock.
"Camilla looks very regal and has adopted the role very easily. She’s had lots of years to finally grow accustomed to being in this position. The way she sits in the throne, it shows that she does feel super confident in that role - we see no signs of anxiety or frustration. The way she spreads her arms out on the side of the chair is an element of spreading out your own personal space - a gesture we make when we feel a great level of confidence. Her facial expressions again remained composed, with Camilla already showing this stoicness she has come to develop over the last few years.
"William was quite emotional, especially when he went up to pledge his allegiance to his dad. You can see there was a real depth in their connection in that moment and the way they maintained prolonged eye contact signifies the familial bond they share. Charles when he was looking at William, you could see he was ever so slightly welling up. There was also a blushing in his cheeks which signifies an emotional shift. This moment clearly meant a lot to him, with his body language suggesting internal feelings of immense pride."
