KING Charles III relied on “coping rituals” to hold back his emotions during his vigil to the Queen, body language expert Judi James has claimed.
The monarch was joined by his siblings Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Princess Anne, Princess Royal, as they mounted a vigil around their mother’s coffin inside Westminster Hall.
King Charles III stands vigil beside the coffin of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as it lies in state on the catafalque in Westminster Hall
His grief was clear to see on his face as he took his place at the vigil
He was joined by his siblings Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew for the 15-minute vigil
The siblings stood on each side of the coffin with their heads bowed
Members of the public, many of whom had queued for hours on end to pay their respects, filed past as King Charles stood at the head of the coffin
Prince Andrew stood at the foot of the coffin
The siblings all wore military uniform as they made their way to the catafalque, and stood on each of the four sides for 15 minutes as the crowds continued to make their way through to pay their respects to the late monarch.
“Charles led his siblings out with his head bowed and during the vigil it was possible to see his performing several ‘coping’ rituals, like sucking in of the lips to increase his levels of determination, as well as closing his eyes and re-setting his jaw.
“As he paused facing the coffin, both his hands fiddled and worked away, even touching the sides of his coat in a small but telling self-comfort or anxiety ritual.
“In the moments before he adopted his vigil pose his hollow eye expression and frequent blinks were another testament to his tiredness and perhaps his closeness to tears.”
Judi noted that Charles looked “exhausted”, and had a “heavier gait” when compared to the more military-style walks of his brothers and sister.
“Anne looked around the hall with rounded, haunted-looking eyes as she came down the stairs but as she paused with the others before taking her post,” Judi continued.
“We could see she and her brother Edward banging their heels down on the floor as though standing to attention and, again, this military gesture of strength and precision could have helped them cope control their expressions of grief.”
It was Edward who managed the most “rigid poker face” of the Queen’s four children, but there was one telltale sign that he was finding the vigil more than a little difficult too.
“He looked so much younger here in his uniform and so quietly and calmly determined to get everything right,” Judi said.
“He gave little away via his body language apart from a small sign of tension and the emotion cost of the vigil when a muscle was working away in his jaw.
As for Andrew, Judi noted that the fact he was given permission to wear his full military uniform tonight allowed him to “wear a rather more emotional facial expression”.
“With the signs of grief, like a hollow, reflective eye gaze and a down-turned mouth, more obvious than they had been when he adopted the rather splayed chest and lifted chin of dutiful bravado and resilience while in civilian dress,” she added.
Prince Andrew wore his full military uniform, and a more “emotional facial expression”, Judi said
The trio looked sombre as they strode into the hall
Princess Anne walked beside her brother Prince Edward as they left the hall after their vigil
Other members of the royal family including James, Viscount Severn, Lady Louise Windsor, the Countess of Wessex, Jack Brooksbank, the Queen Consort, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Zara Tindall, Mike Tindall, the Duke of Kent, Mia and Lena Tindall, the Duchess of Gloucester, and the Earl and Countess of St Andrews were also in attendance
King Charles managed a smile as he left Westminster Hall with Camilla, Queen Consort, following the vigil
