Prince Harry was oddly in good spirits at King Charles III’s coronation Saturday despite all of the simmering tensions surrounding his attendance.
“Harry looked cheerful to the point of cocky,” body language expert Judi James tells Pvnew exclusively.
“[It’s] almost as though none of the events of the past couple of years had ever happened.”
The “Body Language Bible” author admits she was shocked by the Duke of Sussex’s joyful demeanor.
“Pre-coronation, I’d bet Harry would attend looking solitary and isolated without Meghan [Markle], using some anxiety rituals like his signature tummy pat, haunted eye expression and wedding ring fiddle to self-comfort as he suffered the arctic blast from the other royals,” James says.
Harry was instead jovial despite getting snubbed with his seating arrangement inside Westminster Abbey and seemingly having no contact with Prince William or his niece and nephews.
James claims the duke’s behavior was a “counter-intuitive performance that was almost breathtaking, given the no-hope rating he is currently being given in terms of returning to the bosom of his royal family.”
“What we saw was a comeback of the joker prince, a bouncy, resilient-looking royal who looked as though being seated three rows back was actually an honor,” she adds.
Follow Pvnew’s up-to-date coverage of King Charles III’s coronation
- King Charles III coronation live coverage: Latest updates and royal drama
- Here’s the massive price tag of King Charles III’s coronation
- King Charles’ coronation regalia: Spoons, swords and the Sovereign’s Orb
Harry witnessed the ceremony in a seat behind his aunt Princess Anne, which massively obstructed his view due to a large red feather on the Princess Royal’s hat.
James points out, though, that Harry arrived with his “loyal royal posse” of cousins Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice and their husbands, Jack Brooksbank and Edoardo Mozzi, by his side, which likely offered a sense of comfort.
The author notes, “Harry arrived laughing and joking, even performing a mime that suggested he was referring to Eugenie’s heavily-pregnant baby bump and making them all chuckle.”
“He fell back as they all walked in to ensure he was walking alone but this was no lonely, sad, sympathy-inducing walk up the aisle,” she continues.
“Harry greeted the clergy with warmth and adopted an upbeat, slightly rolling, wide-stride gait to suggest breezy cheerfulness.”
James also highlights one poignant moment between Harry and his brother, stating, “There was a flash glance in William’s direction with a more dour expression later.”
However, the expert says that the “biggest hint at complex emotions” took place when “Charles and William and Kate made their stately way up the aisle” in front of the duke.
“While everyone’s eyes were on the royal procession, Harry looked at his father but then turned his head towards Edoardo to speak to him again,” James says.
Perhaps Harry’s thoughts were preoccupied as he knew he’d be in the air within hours to make his way back to his family in California.
Pvnew confirmed that the Invictus Games founder hastily left London less than an hour after Charles’ coronation ceremony ended Saturday.
He rushed back to Los Angeles in order to make it home in time for his son Prince Archie’s 4th birthday.
He was spotted at the VIP Windsor Suite in Heathrow Airport at around 3 p.m. local time.
In California, Harry will reunite with Markle, 41, who chose not to attend the coronation and stayed in Montecito with Archie and 1-year-old daughter Princess Lilibet instead.
Tensions between Harry and his family grown ever since he and the Duchess of Sussex resigned from their royal duties in January 2020.
The feud was also exacerbated by the publication of Harry’s bombshell memoir, “Spare” earlier this year.
