EXCLUSIVE: Prince William took a step back so his children were centre stage when meeting Taylor Swift, says body language expert.
Prince William is a self-proclaimed Swiftie, but at a recent Taylor Swift concert he put his “fan-boy” feelings aside to be the doting dad that he is, says one body language expert.
William took his two eldest children, Prince George, 10, and Princess Charlotte, 9, to Wembley Stadium on Friday as part of his birthday celebrations.
The three royals went backstage to meet the American pop star, who shared photos to her Instagram page with the caption reading: “Happy Bday M8! London shows are off to a splendid start.” If the caption leaves you wondering what “M8” means, it stands for “mate.”
We turned to body language expert Judi James to ask what she’s seeing, with Ms James saying: “There’s three very delighted and excited royal fans here.”
In the photos, Charlotte looks thrilled, George appears pleased and William seems happy his children are happy, but at the same time, William may be holding back, suggests Ms James.
She explains: “William does try to temper his signals of being over-awed and star-struck by placing one hand on each of his children’s shoulders in a gesture that suggests he’s trying to present as a protective dad rather than the Swiftie that he most obviously is.
“It’s the wide boyish grin that reveals his fan-boy status and the crinkled eye-smile.”
William and Taylor had met previously as seen at the Winter Whites Gala in 2013 (Image: Getty)
It appears George takes after his father, coming across as cool and collected, with Ms James saying: “George’s cheek-rounding grin shows a state of matching excitement here.”
Charlotte, on the other hand, is not holding back whatsoever, which the body expert explains: “It’s Charlotte who has dropped off any royal inhibitions to pose with Taylor in full selfie mode, pinning the camera with her eyes with a wonderfully wide grin on her face.”
She added: “Charlotte seems to be mirroring her hero Taylor with her body language here and in another selfie both threw their heads back with a matching, open-mouthed laugh.”
During the gala, the two even got up on stage to sing Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer (Image: Getty)
Ms James believes this night out is a sign of reassurance, reflecting the progress Princess Kate is making in her recovery.
“These recent photos of William and his children out having the best fun together, with William acting like a big kid himself, show a reassuring outburst of the kind of playful fun that might have been on hold during Kate’s illness.”
