13 November 2023 , 11:02
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Prince William presented himself as the "family rock" at Remembrance Sunday but hinted it may be taking its toll, according to a body language expert.
The Prince of Wales was alongside his father King Charles, who led the country at the Cenotaph in Whitehall in commemorating the end of the First World War and other conflicts involving British and Commonwealth forces. After he laid a wreath at the monument, William followed his lead by laying his wreath adorned with the Prince of Wales feathers.
Before this, the two men joined the rest of those gathered in Central London and across the country in a two-minute silence as soon as Big Ben struck 11am. And during this moment, body language expert Judi James noted a movement shared by both William and Charles - rapid blinking.
Prince William at Remembrance Sunday with his father King Charles (Getty Images)And according to Judi, the trait displayed by William could have been to do with "inner tension" caused by trying to avoid looking vulnerable. She explained to the Mirror: "For William, there was just a staccato blinking that was more frequent, which would say more about inner tension. He seems to be presenting himself as the family rock that his father can rely on but that display of strength and calm could be underpinned by some inner tension in terms of getting it right.
"He might want to avoid showing any vulnerability, especially in the light of the constant problems from the US, but there does seem to be a couple of micro-gestures, i.e. the blinking and the jaw muscle movement, that give hints the responsibility does require effort."
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However, Judi had a different explanation as to why Charles also showed signs of rapid blinking. She added: "Rapid blinking at an increased rate, as both William and Charles were doing, tends to be caused either by a suppression of tears or it can be a physiological response that is down to an increase in adrenalin prompted by tension, anxiety or even anger!
William carries his wreath adorned with the Prince of Wales feathers (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Kate looks emotional at the poignant service (PA)"In Charles' case, I would call the 'tears' option as his eyes did look damp and the way he rolled his eyes upward a couple of times would be another technique to avoid actually shedding tears."
They were joined in paying tribute by the living former UK prime ministers: Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Sir Tony Blair and Sir John Major. Almost 10,000 veterans and 800 armed forces personnel from all three services were then due to take part in a march-past, and members of the public applauded as they processioned past.