Charles and William present ‘sheer pleasure in one another’s firm’
King Charles and Prince William showed ‘sheer joy in each other’s company’ during a rare joint engagement, with neither looking ‘weighed down by the thought of fallouts with Prince Harry‘, a body language expert has claimed.
The 75-year-old monarch arrived by helicopter to meet his eldest son on a Hampshire airfield where he handed over command of the Army Air Corps – the combat aviation arm of the British Army – to the Prince of Wales.
His Majesty has made his heir Colonel-in-Chief at a special ceremony at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop this afternoon.
As father and son stood together in front of an Apache, they laughed and smiled showing mutual fondness and playful appreciation, Judi James told MailOnline.
William appeared to be ‘proud and delighted’ to see his cancer-stricken father at one point seemingly ‘rocking with laughter’, while their ‘energised walk together’ showed a ‘sense of ease and familiarity’.
King Charles and Prince William today showed ‘sheer joy in each other’s company’ at a rare joint engagement, according to body language expert Judi James
Judi James said their ‘energised walk together’ (pictured) showed a ‘sense of ease and familiarity’, while they showed no strain from ‘any fallouts with Prince Harry’
Father and son laughed as Charles handed William an Army Air Corps beret and belt as the Prince of Wales took on his younger brother’s former unit – the 662 Squadron – on the day Harry left Nigeria after a three-day pseudo-royal tour with his wife Meghan.
Charles had earlier appeared to show some ‘inner anxiety’ by ‘stuffing his hand into the pocket of his jacket’ as he stood alone to make a small speech before unveiling a plaque, Ms James said.
‘It was when Charles stood with his son William though that we got some gloriously open signals of mutual fondness and playful appreciation.
‘This was not the body language of a king and his heir and despite the importance of the moment there was no solemnity or formality.
‘What the two men showed us was pure father/son body language and this was almost the first time they have treated us to a glimpse of the true nature of their relationship as it stands today.’
Ms James continued that when William was younger he would often be seen ‘egging his father on to pose for the press and trying to instigate some smiles from his more reluctant dad’.
She added: ‘The pair would in later years be seen chatting or standing together but here they showed their capacity for mutual fun and what looked like their sheer joy in one another’s company.’
Judi continued that when William was younger he would often be seen ‘egging his father on to pose for the press and trying to instigate some smiles from his more reluctant dad’ (Pictured here celebrating the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee in 2002)
She continued that ‘it was when Charles stood with his son William though that we got some gloriously open signals of mutual fondness and playful appreciation’
Judi says ‘this was almost the first time they have treated us to a glimpse of the true nature of their relationship as it stands today’
Judi says Charles’ touching moment with veteran who has also received cancer treatment shows he ‘has developed a new capacity for empathy, thanks sadly to his illness’
William ‘appeared to look the most relaxed he has been since his wife Catherine’s cancer diagnosis’
Charles and William’s public show of affection comes a week after Harry’s spokesperson revealed his father’s diary commitments meant he was ‘too busy’ to see his youngest son during his whistlestop trip to the UK
Their public show of affection comes a week after Harry’s spokesperson revealed his father’s diary commitments meant he was ‘too busy’ to see his youngest son during his whistlestop trip to the UK to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games.
But William and Charles did not show any strain from the royal rift within the House of Windsor, Judi claimed, with the Prince of Wales, if anything, looking the most relaxed he has been since his wife Catherine’s cancer diagnosis.
‘William’s body language suggested an air of almost loving relief and delight to be sharing the moment with his father after what must have been worries about his illness that would also have held ramifications for his own role as a royal,’ she continued.
‘This is perhaps the most relaxed William has looked recently, since Catherine’s illness too. His focus here seems to be primarily as a son towards his father and the fact that this is a family moment seems to be pinned up there even higher than the bestowing and accepting of the role.
‘William looks confident and capable here and Charles’s playful approach does seem to suggest he knows his elder son can handle this new role easily and keenly.
‘Neither man looks weighed down by the thought of fallouts that involve Harry, in fact the word “oblivious” springs to mind looking at these poses.
‘This behaviour suggests an intensely affectionate relationship that has gained in intensity over the past couple of years and which has now deepened via the shared experience of Charles and Catherine’s illnesses.
‘They look like two men focused on overcoming those illnesses while repairing the royal Firm and very little else.’
Charles shared a touching moment with another cancer patient at the ceremony in which the monarch revealed he had lost his sense of taste during his treatment.
His Majesty was speaking to British Army veteran Aaron Mapplebeck who told the King he underwent chemotherapy last year for testicular cancer and that lost his sense of taste – and Charles revealed this had also happened to him.
Ms James said Charles ‘has developed a new capacity for empathy, thanks sadly to his illness’.
‘His body language with this veteran suggests heightened levels of understanding and even bonding as they chat,’ she said.
‘He is now able to share experience now and his expressions and tone appear much more absorbed and even personal.’
