Body Language Expert Tells Us Donald Trump Is Up To His Old Tricks In Meeting With Prince William

Fresh from his Election Day victory, Donald Trump has wasted no time re-establishing himself as the returning resident of the White House. Just a month after clinching the presidency, Trump headed to Paris for the re-opening of Notre Dame Cathedral, newly restored after a devastating fire five years ago. Among the many famous faces at the event were First Lady Jill Biden, Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelenskyy, and William, Prince of Wales, standing in for King Charles III. (Melania Trump was busy at home promoting her Christmas ornaments, but Elon Musk, Trump's new bestie, flew in for the occasion.) In an apparent departure from years earlier when the king and Prince William apparently snubbed Trump during a state visit to the U.K., the royal and the incoming POTUS had a brief meeting at the U.K. Ambassador's Residence after the rededication ceremony.

The new special relationship? 🇬🇧🇺🇸The Prince of Wales and @realDonaldTrump are currently meeting in Paris. Prince William, representing the King, is the first member of the royal family to meet Trump since his re-election to the @WhiteHouse and has beaten @Keir_Starmer to it. pic.twitter.com/RXL7P9lTcG

— Roya Nikkhah (@RoyaNikkhah) December 7, 2024

Prince William has shared his secret to combating anxiety during royal outings: He takes out his contact lenses so he can't see people's faces clearly. For his first face-to-face with Trump, he may have wished he had worn a blindfold. The List spoke exclusively to Traci Brown, CSP, Body Language Expert & Behavior Analyst, and asked her to analyze Trump's interaction with the prince. To no one's surprise, Brown affirmed that the controversial politician hasn't changed a bit since his last term in office. "Once again, [he] has to be the biggest, most important guy in the room," she said. "We've seen these power plays before."

Prince William and Donald Trump exchanged friendly greetings both at the Notre Dame dedication and at their sit-down afterward. But while they may have tried to maintain a neutral attitude, their physical reactions spoke volumes. Body language expert Traci Brown pointed out to The List how William kept his hands in a "fig leaf position" as he waited, an unconscious gesture of self-protection. Remembering his manners, Trump waited at the door for William to approach and extend his hand, but "Trump is focused more on the crowd than his host," Brown added. "He barely gives William a look, but stays shaking hands and turns his attention toward the crowd." Things got even more awkward when the prince tried to end the handshake, but Trump held on a second longer. "This whole sequence is an attempt at showing power by Trump," Brown said. "He has a habit of making handshakes an overt power play, and this is another version of it."

The divisive politician went on to "give the stage" to William with an open hand in his direction, after which the prince rubbed his hands together in a "sign of positive expectation," Brown observed. But immediately afterward, William put his hands back in front of him, while Trump dropped his arms to the side. "So they're not quite in sync," said Brown.

Prince William seems to have graciously put aside any resentment over Donald Trump's past tweet about Kate Middleton back in 2012. (The former "Apprentice" host said the future princess brought embarrassment on herself by sunbathing topless where paparazzi could snap her.) But one could forgive him for feeling a bit huffy over Trump's too-chummy ways. The once and future president made personal contact with the prince at least twice: a pat on the shoulder at the Notre Dame ceremony, and then a touch on his arm before they stood for photos at the embassy. Though there are no outright bans against touching the British monarch or their immediate family, the general protocol holds that one should wait for the royal to make the first move.

Prince William has broken the royal rule about touching commoners on a number of occasions. Still, he may have been unprepared for Trump to overwhelm their meeting so quickly. As the two men turned to face the cameras, Trump first commented, "Good man, this one," and a moment later jabbed his thumb in the prince's direction as he added, "He's doing a fantastic job." While the sentiment was well meant, it came off as condescending. Brown noted that William assumed the protective hand position immediately afterward, perhaps as a reaction to Trump's brashness. She concluded: "He's certainly making the whole meeting more casual than William."