12 Times Queen Camilla's Body Language Said It All
The modern crop of royals has been synonymous with chaos for years. But before Prince William and Prince Harry's feud and Princess Catherine and Meghan Markle's tension, Camilla, Queen Consort, was the ruler of royal drama. Having dated a young King Charles III in the early 1970s before marrying Andrew Parker Bowles, Camilla was seen by the royal family as an unsuitable romantic fit for the future heir to the throne. She was also bold and unapologetic, qualities that made her far too crass for life as a royal. Cue an incredibly young Diana Spencer, who went on only a handful of dates with Charles before he proposed. The two got married when Diana was just 20 years old, and while their marriage looked like a fairytale from the outside, it was far from it.
The specific timeline remains a little hazy, but Charles maintained a friendship with Camilla — if not a romantic relationship — during the early years of his marriage to Diana. At some point, their feelings grew into love, and their affair became one of the worst-kept secrets in Britain. By the time Camilla officially landed on the royal scene in the early 2000s, everyone — and we mean everyone — was watching her. And while she would not — or could not — express her emotions verbally, Camilla's body language often revealed how she was really feeling and her most telling moments have all been caught on camera.
Camilla and Diana's body language during a joint outing was night and day
Princess Diana and Camilla, Queen Consort, were connected by the man in their life from the very beginning, but the two very rarely shared public outings with one another. In an attempt to seemingly put rumors to rest, Camilla and Diana stepped out with each other in 1980 to attend the Ludlow Races. While the press had a field day snapping photos of them on what appeared to be a friendly outing, body language expert Judi James examined what their postures and dynamics with one another really pointed to.
"At the time the poses were judged on face value because we were all sold on this fairytale romance between a young woman and a dashing, if slightly crusty bachelor prince," James explained to Express. "Diana was getting papped for the first time during this period and her body language here made her look dazzling but vulnerable, like a hunted deer. Her head is down and her eyes are up to the camera while her mouth forms her signature shy, unsure smile."
Camilla, on the other hand, was harsher — in looks and attitude — by comparison. "At 33 years of age and clad in sensible, unflattering tweeds, Camilla looked like a lady-in-waiting who might have been chosen for her confident, maternal presence," James said. "She strode out beside Diana with her chin raised and her large bag clutched to her torso."
Even Camilla's early body language around King Charles III showed her confidence
King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, started their romantic dalliance all the way back in the early 1970s. Though their relationship didn't survive its first go around, Camilla's body language quickly pointed to just how comfortable she was around the future king. Pictured together in 1972 at a polo game, Charles had his arms casually draped over a fence while Camilla leaned up against a car. The two were chatting, and the young woman's body language proved that she simply wasn't swooning over the then-prince.
Expert Judi James told Express that Camilla's affection for Charles "always compares to an iceberg, with very little emotion being shown in public but with some occasional glimpses of the powerful relationship that lies beneath." One of the most significant hints came from this photo op, where, unlike his other dates, Camilla put it all on the table.
"Here we saw a woman facing Charles front-on in what might look like a romantic pose but which also registers signals of challenge from Camilla who, with her hands stuffed casually in her pockets, looks totally unfazed by Charles's royal status," James analyzed. "Her direct stare, her lack of a compliant, flattering smile and the way it is Charles looking rather awkward and besotted under her gaze ... all seem to tilt the confidence, power and even status signals in Camilla's direction."
Queen Elizabeth II and Camilla's body language during the royal wedding spoke volumes
Camilla, Queen Consort, may have been around for decades, but it took years for her to be allowed to marry King Charles III. After the death of Princess Diana, Charles and Camilla had to walk a very careful line. Diana had been dearly beloved by the public and Camilla was seen as the other woman who even the royals couldn't approve of. Charles and Camilla did forge ahead with their relationship, however, which led to their wedding in 2005. You'd think that a royal wedding would bring the warring factions together, but body language expert Judi James examined the wedding photographs and revealed that everything between Camilla, Queen Elizabeth II, and Prince Philip wasn't as peachy as it seemed.
"At the poses after their wedding, the queen and Philip stood back and away from the couple on the steps, which prevented any happy family photographs being taken and it looks very much as though [Princess] Anne is equally unwilling to look anything more than frosty here, too," James told Express, about the tension in the air.
Given that the queen reportedly, per The Daily Mail, told Charles – after having a number of martinis — that she would not condone his adultery nor forgive Camilla for not leaving Charles alone to allow his marriage to recover, the body language makes sense.
The body language between Princess Anne and Camilla points to their past tension
Princess Anne has maintained a regular reputation among the British public as the hardest-working royal. She embodies the stiff-upper-lip mentality, only comments on the record when necessary, and lets her body language do a lot of the talking. She also — despite her aura — has had a particularly scandalous personal life, including a short-lived romance with Andrew Parker Bowles. With that in mind, it goes without saying that Camilla, Queen Consort, and Anne have been connected for decades, and their body language points to some very awkward shared moments.
Analyzing one in particular, body language expert Judi James told Express that Anne very clearly wanted to ice Camilla out. Attending the Order of the Garter Service at Windsor Castle in 2005, Camilla, King Charles III, and Anne were pictured together, but it was Anne's closed-off approach that had experts dissecting the scene.
"There seems to be a sense of exclusion here as Anne stands closer to her brother to apparently push Camilla out of the small group here, even raising her arm so that her elbow forms a barrier gesture," James said, noting that the tense body language came just weeks after Charles and Camilla's nuptials. "Both Charles and Anne look grim-faced here, rather than sociable."
Camilla's body language during Queen Elizabeth II's funeral was very telling
Despite being on rocky footing for many years, Camilla, Queen Consort and the late Queen Elizabeth II did appear to put their issues behind them over time. Camilla quickly proved herself as a dedicated working royal, supporting King Charles III and by and large keeping scandal to a minimum. She and the queen reportedly bonded over their shared love of equestrianism, too. By the time the queen's Platinum Jubilee rolled around in 2022, she made it clear that she wanted Camilla to be known as Queen Consort once Charles took the throne. This was a huge indication that their relationship had gotten significantly better.
As Camilla mourned the loss of the queen in September 2022, her body language did most of the talking. According to communication coach Sonia Beldom, Camilla's posture and facial positioning during the funeral displayed just how much she had come to admire the monarch.
"By tightening mouths, we can more easily control our facial muscles. All the female royals are composed, with slightly pursed lips — which helps hold back emotion," Beldom told The Independent, noting that Camilla kept a level head during the emotional ceremony. "Her shoulders are horizontal, neck relaxed, her chin is slightly dipped, which is no surprise in grief, and often portrays a person considering something upsetting."
Camilla asserted herself at Wimbledon 2023 with one bold body language move
Though Camilla, Queen Consort, assumed her new title following Queen Elizabeth II's death, she appeared to step into a newfound sense of authority following King Charles III's coronation. Also having been crowned during the ceremony, Camilla became the most senior female royal within the firm, and her appearance at Wimbledon 2023 — a few weeks after the main event — spoke to her emboldened role. Commenting on her body language and behavior during the tennis championships was expert Darren Stanton, who analyzed her movements for Showbiz CheatSheet.
"As she arrived at Wimbledon, Queen Camilla came across completely confident and relaxed. In one of the shots, where she was walking next to an assistant, her posture was upright and she towered him. It was almost like a display of authority, which showed that Camilla was the one with the power," Stanton said, before noting that one specific move on her part displayed her new mentality. "Her key gesture is that she'll tend to put her hands behind her back when she's walking. This is an authoritative gesture. Unconsciously, this puts most of your vital organs at the front as if to expose them — psychologically, what you're saying here is 'I have enough confidence in who I am and what skills I have in order to allow myself to be more vulnerable.'"
The queen consort's body language during an international royal visit revealed discomfort
Although Camilla, Queen Consort, is now the most senior female royal in the British firm, her own sense of confidence has seemingly wavered over time. She has regularly missed out on receiving adoration from the public — with YouGov still reporting her approval rating at 42% — and that certainly seemed to be on her mind when interacting with Princess Catherine and Queen Letizia of Spain back in 2019.
Letizia is a young, dynamic queen who worked as a broadcast journalist before marrying into the Spanish royal family. Catherine, meanwhile, is the third most approved of royal behind Prince William and Princess Anne. Such public affection has not extended to Camilla, and while Catherine and Letizia were chatting with one another, she looked incredibly awkward, out of place, and even exuded "frostiness."
"In 2019 there was another unhappy look from Camilla, who appeared frozen out of the conversation between Kate and Letizia of Spain," body language expert Judi James told Express. "While the two younger royals seemed to get on like a house on fire, Camilla was seen lurking in the background with no one to talk to."
Camilla has expressed nervous body language around Princess Catherine before
If international visits and interactions with her daughter-in-law weren't already telling, body language expert Judi James notes that even though Camilla, Queen Consort is technically of a higher ranking within the royal family, she has regularly expressed nervous energy around Princess Catherine, which can mean that the princess' decorum and star power likely make her anxious.
Focusing in on Camilla and Catherine's interaction at the Royal Pavilion, James told Express, "There were strong signals of positive anticipation from Charles as his daughter-in-law Kate walked up the steps to greet him. His hands seemed to pause above his pockets and his warm eye-gaze looked focused on her, while Camilla appeared to perform an even warmer, affectionate smile aimed at William."
Things quickly went south, however. "There was a small gesture of anxiety from Camilla as the very elegant William and Kate approached up the steps as she lifted her bag in front of her torso in a barrier gesture," James explained. "There is clearly a desire to show a unified front and a family vibe from the new top tier of the firm though, with smiles, chatting, and polite body language signals all round."
The queen consort's passion was on display during a horse-centered event
If there's one thing that Camilla, Queen Consort, loves, it's horses. Equestrian-related activities are preferred by many members of the royal family, and as Royal Ascot 2023 rolled around, Camilla and King Charles III were increasingly invested — their horse, Desert Hero, was competing in the race.
Watching emphatically as Desert Hero raced in the King George V Stakes, Camilla and Charles both expressed their desire to win in different ways. Examining their body language was none other than Judi James, who told Express just how much Camilla's posture indicated her competitive streak. "Charles is rather gentle in the way he urges his horse on and it's interesting that a display of more pent-up emotion at the win ended in a rather tearful look. Camilla looks far more determined and even aggressive in her encouragement of a win," James said. "Her mouth turns down at the corners and in one pose she bares and hits her lower teeth in a gesture of determination and a will to win.
Focusing on just how happy the couple looked amid all the changes they've experienced in 2023, James concluded, "I think it was a moment of release for both of them that might have brought them both close to tears."
Camilla's body language around Prince William involves aspects of the past
Prince William may be Princess Diana's son, but he has had to figure out how to walk the line with Camilla, Queen Consort. As the heir to the throne, William is the definition of the firm's future image: young, well-liked, and a father of three. He represents the modern monarchy in more ways than one, and his dynamic with Camilla is a case study of how to put resentments in the past.
Analyzing their behavior towards one another, body language expert Judi James told Express that William has bent his own thoughts and personal feelings in favor of the institution — and Camilla, for that matter. "Prince William has been making relationship compromises most of his life and one of the most challenging must have been the one with his father's second wife," she said. "His loyalty to his mother and the fact that he was old enough to witness Diana's pain over Camilla must have left some form of resentment. ... Step-parenting is always a challenge but there are no signs between Camilla and either of Charles' sons that she has ever attempted a maternal role with them." Their joint appearance at the Invictus Games in 2014 was a perfect example of this careful consideration. The two looked friendly while sharing a laugh, but not overly connected.
Camilla's body language around Prince Harry displays their tense relationship
While Prince William has made attempts to smooth the waters with Camilla, Queen Consort, Prince Harry has not followed suit. Taking aim at her in his memoir, "Spare," Harry quickly asserted his thoughts on his stepmother, calling her "the villain," "a third person in the marriage," and a want-to-be royal hell-bent on shooting others down to boost her own public standing. Harry's estimation shouldn't have come as a huge surprise — even when he was still in the United Kingdom, his body language pointed to his loyalty to his late mother and his discomfort around Camilla.
"There's always been an air of politeness about Harry's body language with Camilla," body language expert Judi James told Express, noting that the Duke of Sussex essentially put on a show when it came to his stepmother. "Diana was always very adept at the subtler silent signals, and Harry has shown he inherited some of that skill. Harry seemed to go through the motions though, with some signals of a more tentative approach when he was younger, when a hand barrier — with his hands clasped in front of his torso — acted as some kind of a buffer." From the Queen Mother's statue unveiling in 2009 to the Trooping the Colour event in 2012, Harry's distinctly positioned arms have regularly displayed the disconnect he has from the queen consort.
King Charles III and Camilla's body language showcases their dedication to one another
King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, have been involved with one another for decades, but it's only been since their wedding in 2005 that we've really got a glimpse of who they are as a couple. Following the grandeur of the coronation in May 2023, Charles and Camilla were celebrated in a newfound way. And while making their first appearance as king and queen consort at Royal Ascot 2023 just weeks later, the couple looked more in tune than ever before. Commenting on their joint body language at the famed event was expert Darren Stanton, who told the New York Post that Camilla has evolved into a staple on the royal scene, providing her husband with a sense of ease and comfort.
Revealing that Charles and Camilla "look very comfortable and confident together," Stanton added, "[Camilla] has become his rock who he depends on in social settings. Camilla doesn't have to be joined at the hip."
Further noting that the queen consort has — and continues to — stay down to earth and connected to herself even with the spotlight on her, Stanton revealed, "She looks comfortable in her posture and the way she is standing. She also isn't crossing her arms. It tells me that she is comfortable being on her own."