An 'impatient' King Charles was in attendance at the Commonwealth Day service on Monday, before the new Duchess of Edinburgh stepped in to save the day, a body language expert has said.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, the Queen Consort, and many other important members of the Royal Family were also in attendance, reports the Mirror.
The ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey, where the new monarch will be officially crowned in less than two months time.
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Wet and windy conditions meant that many attendees were holding on to their hats, but spirits were not dampened by the weather. The royals exchanged some small-talk as they headed to their seats.
Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, appeared to shoulder-bump King Charles during a conversation, as the monarch seemed keen to move on with proceedings as soon as possible.
And body language expert Judi James has explained the reason why the encounter was a telling moment for the pair, and a sweet exchange of PDA.
The expert said: "Whether it was the upgrade to Duchess of Edinburgh or maybe just a response to Charles’s slightly impatient-looking dithering as he waited to get on with the procession, but Sophie leant right in to give Charles a very playful shoulder-bump greeting, along with a very meaningful grin.
"It was probably the first glimpse of a gesture like this at a formal public event like this and as an ice-breaker, it seemed to set the tone for the new Prince and Princess of Wales, who were spotted exchanging some grins that were fondly bordering on the flirtatious during the service.
"At one point Kate leant over to point to the place William should have been on his song sheet and he replied with a rather sweet suppressed smile, followed by a small bounce on his heels to signal a moment of happiness.
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"Kate was also seen chatting to William during one of the musical numbers and his grin in reply looked equally cheeky."
Judi also noted that King Charles had an "air of impatience" surrounding him, as he and the Queen Consort arrived at the Abbey - while Camilla looked "intensely nervous".
She added: "Charles’s air of impatience might have been prompted by what went on outside the Abbey. Being greeted by jeers from the crowd from people carrying anti-monarchy banners didn’t rattle the King but it did seem to startle Camilla.
"While Charles stopped to enjoy the performance of a haka, Camilla walked straight past despite the fact he seemed to turn to expect to enjoy it with her.
"Camilla was also clearly worried about the wind taking her hat and messing her hair but those are not the normal concerns for royal women.
"Buffeted by the same strong wind, Kate just placed one hand to steady her hat and Anne walked through without as much as a blink of concern."
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