Attending the funeral of a loved one is an anguishing time for anyone, but it has to
be even more painful when you have millions of strangers watching your grief play out
on TV and livestream. Case in point: the funeral of Prince Philip. The royal patriarch was
laid to rest with only his closest family and friends in attendance, all doing their
best to maintain their composure in the midst of their sorrow. Much as they tried to keep
their emotions in check, however, the royals' body language did reveal some hints about
what was going on behind their stoic expressions.
Prince William, the third of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's eight grandchildren, underwent
particular scrutiny during the ceremony. Not only did he have a close relationship with
his grandfather, he also was facing the uncomfortable prospect of interacting with his brother,
Prince Harry, for the first time since the polarizing Oprah interview. To find out what
might have been going through his mind, Nicki Swift spoke to Damali Peterman, Esq., a body
language expert and founder of Breakthrough ADR, a commercial conflict-resolution consulting
and training firm. She noted that the prince's stance and expressions were typical of what
might be expected of a royal, since he,
"Was born into a duty that was on full display during his grandfather's funeral."
Still, while the prince kept his feelings under wraps during the solemn procession to
the chapel, Peterman said that his expressions during the service - particularly his eye
movements - hinted at his state of mind.
Peterman noticed that during the Royal Naval Piping Party's whistled call to attention,
just before Philip's casket was carried into the chapel, Prince William distinctly clenched
his jaw. Although "[t]here is no way to tell with certainty" why he did so, the expert
explained to Nicki Swift, that this tension could mean a number of things, including "trying
not to show emotion." This would certainly make sense in the context of a grandchild
listening to a final show of military respect for his grandfather.
As the simple church service began, the family donned their black face masks in compliance
with COVID-19 protocol. While this concealed the lower half of William's face, one of his
most important features was still on full display. Peterman notes that there are many
proverbs and phrases that mention the eyes' importance in signaling thoughts and emotions.
She explained,
"You can learn and see a lot in one's eyes. Just think about it for a moment. You can
ask someone how they are doing; they can say OK, but something in their eyes reveals otherwise."
She paid special attention to William's solemn eyes during the clergy's first reading - a
passage from Ecclesiasticus - describing the Lord's power to affect the weather and command
the sea. During this time, William was seen showing "a rapid and frequent blinking," explained
Peterman. Though she admitted that she doesn't know the prince's "baseline" for blinking,
the behavior can mean anything from sleepiness to thinking to "trying not to cry."
Paradoxically, depending on the person and the circumstances, rapid blinks can happen
both during times of stress and times of relaxation. It's certainly possible that William may have
been struggling to hold back tears, knowing he was expected to keep his dignity as a royal
being watched by millions worldwide. On the other hand, perhaps the prince was feeling
relieved that the difficult funeral procession was over. No doubt he was flooded with memories
of the only other time he walked behind a royal casket: as a boy, saying goodbye to
a mother he lost far too soon. With the attention turning to the clergy and choir, William could
simply sit and focus on his own thoughts.
Interestingly, Peterman revealed to Nicki Swift that Prince William's demeanor and walking
"was more relaxed" after the service, when he and brother Harry came together for the
first time in more than a year. Despite the reported chilliness between them, she said,
their body language showed an ease and cordiality with "no conflict between them." This would
seem to fit with the conversation they reportedly had outside the church. Lip-reading experts
told The List that the brothers seemed to be talking about the beautiful music, and
agreeing that the ceremony was exactly as their grandfather wanted it to be. Could this
spell the beginning of that long-awaited truce?
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