Prince William’s Warm Gesture to Princess Beatrice Came With One Noticeable Detail, Says Expert
Princess Beatrice's reaction to Prince William's warm wedding gesture has sparked debate after a body language expert weighed in.
The wedding of Prince Philippos and Harriet Sterling drew a massive royal crowd, but the biggest surprise was the presence of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Despite rumors they would skip the ceremony, the sisters were welcomed warmly by the family, including Prince William, who greeted them with open arms. However, one body language expert notes that Beatrice’s reaction to the Prince of Wales seemed noticeably less affectionate.
Several senior royals—including King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Kate, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh—attended the royal wedding over the weekend. However, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie’s appearance followed a newly released National Audit Office (NAO) report regarding their housing. The report sparked questions by revealing that King Charles continues to fund their London residences, despite neither princess being a working royal. Their rents, set at 60% of market value, are paid using the King’s private income from the Privy Purse.
Despite months of reports suggesting the sisters had been pushed to the sidelines because of the ongoing controversy surrounding their father, they appeared to be welcomed warmly at the wedding. William was even spotted greeting Beatrice with a kiss on the cheek, defying long-running rumors that he had "frozen out" the sisters. Body language expert Judi James told the Mirror that the moment seemed intentional and that William made no effort to hide the interaction from the cameras.
James explained, “He is firm in his personal choices about who to accept or reject, and secondly that he has the courage to make his decisions visible in public. So this kiss with Beatrice would probably not have been prompted by any avoidance of social embarrassment.” She added, “A man who will publicly cut his uncle at a family funeral is probably a man who could have dodged out of this fond-looking ritual.”
However, the expert felt Beatrice did not quite match William's warmth during the exchange. Sharing her take on the moment, she said, “William's public display of what looks like affection and acceptance doesn't appear to be returned in full here, though. Beatrice looks away during the ritual in an act of distraction, and her lips are pursed rather than relaxed in a fond smile. There's no response of either relief or gratitude from her here.”
James also felt the gesture was far from a quick or casual greeting. In her view, William genuinely went out of his way to make Beatrice feel welcome, pointing out that he had to bend down quite a bit to kiss her on the cheek. She said the effort involved made the moment look all the more sincere.
