A body language expert analyses 13 iconic photos of Prince Charles and Princess Diana

Pity poor little Prince Harry. Just a tiny tot in a bright blue coat, knee-socks, and Mary Janes, he innocently holds onto the hands of both his parents as the three walk together. While children often intuit the truth that adults attempt to hide from them, Harry would have been too young here to really understand that his parents no longer loved one another. Charles stares straight ahead. Even though he holds Harry’s hand, Wood points out, he is clearly focused on something that is causing his brow to furrow in anger. Diana, for her part, looks down, perhaps submissively.

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By the time this photo was taken in 1989, everything’s already out in the open vis a vis Charles and Diana’s respective extra-marital dalliances and their mutual marital unhappiness. In fact, earlier that same year, Diana even came out to Camilla that she knew about Camilla’s affair with Charles. Of course, this was after Diana and Charles announced that they were officially separated. With no need to hide their feelings, both Charles and Diana wear their displeasure with one another boldly. “His shoulder turned away, his mouth tightly sealed,” Wood points out, “it’s as if Charles was forced by his mother to take this girl he doesn’t like to the school dance.” Diana sits properly, her legs drawn closely together. “Sexual intimacy is off the table and out of the question.” And just to be sure, Diana’s hands are folded protectively in her lap.

In late 1992, three years after all was already “said and done,” Prince Charles and his not-quite-yet-ex wife Diana take one last official trip together to South Korea. Again, Wood sees in their body language two people who just wish they could be anywhere else with anyone else. He’s gazing up and away as if she’s not even there. And she’s not merely 90 degrees turned away from him, she’s turned away just about as far as she can be without turning to face the wall.

Although Charles and Diana are attending an event on the royal calendar together, they are not together (although they’re not yet divorced, and that may be, in part, because Diana never wanted to be divorced). Diana seems almost relieved, but at the same time, Wood can’t help but notice Diana is shielding her pelvis with both her arm and her hand. Although she appears light-hearted, it’s as if she can’t help but be preoccupied with protecting herself. Wood also notices that Charles has now abandoned any effort to appear that he is connected to Diana in any way; whereas in the past, he would point at least some part of his body towards Diana, that is absent here.

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Source: RD.com