Royal Family have been out in force for this year's Royal Ascot, making the most of the beautiful sunny weather.
Prince Charles, Camilla, Sophie Wessex, Princess Beatrice and Zara and Mike Tindall were all seen dressed up in their finery and enjoying their day at the races yesterday.
And on the surface, it appeared a relaxed, fun-filled day out as they greeted each other with kisses, chatted animatedly and laughed at their jokes.
But according to body language expert Judi James, despite mostly jolly interactions, there were some subtle cues, especially between Charles and Beatrice, that all might not be well.
She told the Mirror: "With the joy and the stress of the Jubilee behind them the royals grouped and gathered at Ascot with what looked like an air of reinstated relaxation, airing their bonds or lack of them in among the toppers and fascinators.
"Charles was well-established as the centre of everyone’s attention, flattery and sucking-up rituals and ice that was broken during the Jubilee celebrations remained generally on thaw apart from some subtle body language cues that suggested that Prince Andrew’s disinvite from the Garter procession might be causing some new ripples beneath all the wreathed smiles and bonhomie."
Here Judi gives her opinion on what we saw at Ascot yesterday...
Prince Charles and Princess Beatrice
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Judi explained: "Beatrice might be leaning in to kiss her uncle on the cheek but there is little sign of warmth in her facial expression as she does so. Her eyes are wide rounded and her eye gaze is looking away from Charles and cast downward. Her mouth is puckered primly and tightly, suggesting tension or effort.
"Her right-hand reaches out to touch his arm but it is a distanced greeting. Charles has turned his own head away from Beatrice so the cheeks barely touch. Edo is watching closely, touching the brim of his top hat to add an air of old-school formality to the rituals.
"Zara almost appears to be taking the role of mediator here, smiling at the scene as though encouraging some displays of warmth and relaxation."
Prince Charles and Zara Tindall
Judi said: "Charles appears to adore his rather funny, naughty and spontaneously tactile niece Zara and the feeling seems to be mutual. She is the only woman to be able to perform a PDA on this very crusty, veteran royal and that includes both of his wives.
"Zara always throws an arm around her uncle’s shoulder and winds it around his neck, where she will keep it like Britney used to keep her boa constrictor while she is chatting and laughing with him.
"Their greeting kiss was nose-to-nose with what looked like a peck right on the lips. Zara is famous for her displays of affection but you might expect a more reserved Charles to duck or draw away, but far from it.
"His eyes wrinkle in fond delight and his chin raises as he places a reciprocal hand on Zara’s back."
Prince Charles and Sophie Wessex
Judi added: "Up in the stands, Charles is spatially close to Sophie, leaving a large gap between himself and Camilla. Sophie, like Zara, tends to get on with most of the royals and appears to be trusted at a very high level.
"She and Charles are seen roaring with laughter here and when Charles moves in to kiss her as they greet she seems to perform a rather cheeky facial expression, suggesting they are close friends.
"Sophie’s open-mouthed smile involves a rounding and a raising of the cheeks, making it look genuine and Charles’s face is wreathed in creases that suggest good humour in her company.
"There seems to be little sharing in this relationship though. As Charles greets Sophie Camilla stands apart, studying her programme with rapt attention."
Prince Charles and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
Judi said: "Edoardo is still the royal newbie and as such is still adopting a more formal and courteous stance with senior royals. He tends to get closest to the highest-ranking royal present, which in this case is Charles.
"Edo’s eye attention is charming and his slight lowering of the head suggests deference. His hands are behind his back and in many ways, he is the royal husband most in contrast to Mike Tindall, whose air of fun and lack of signals of sucking up seems to make him extremely popular with all the royal family."
Princess Anne and Camilla
Judi explained: "These two women share a dating history but what could have been a source of enmity seems to have created strong bonds of friendship and even empathy, instead.
"Camilla often looks out of her depth at royal events but with Anne, she is able to relax and chat like old friends. Anne’s level of eye-engagement suggests she has a lot of time for her sister-in-law, too."
