WILLIAM and Harry were “nervous” and “going through the motions” as they watched their dad remarry, a body language expert has claimed.

King Charles II wed Camilla Parker-Bowles on April 9 2005, nearly eight years after his ex-wife and mother to his sons, Princess Diana, tragically died.

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Charles and Camilla tied the knot in April 2005, nearly eight years after Princess Diana’s tragic deathCredit: Getty

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Harry and William had to “dig deep” to attend the wedding, a body language expert saysCredit: PA:Press Association

“Few step-children will have had to dig as deep as Diana’s two devoted and loyal sons did when attending the marriage of their father to Diana’s sworn rival Camilla,” she said.

“It is to the brother’s credit that they suppressed what must have been many negative emotions for the sake of their father and the need for family unity.”

“The pair opted for two key motivational techniques: overkill displays and muscle memory formalities.

“The first provides an outlet for any building tension and rising adrenaline and the second allows you to go into automatic pilot mode.”

Charles and Camilla’s relationship began back in 1971 when the pair were introduced by a mutual friend.

Aged 23, they quickly became close friends talking for hours on the phone and spending as much time together as possible.

However, the relationship never progressed amid warnings from Charles’ great-uncle Lord Mountbatten that Camilla was not “sufficiently aristocratic” to marry into the Royal Family.

The then-Prince of Wales tied the knot with Diana in 1981 upon his family’s recommendation – but the People’s Princess called the relationship “tricky” as she knew how much Charles loved Camilla.

She claimed that before her wedding, she found out Charles had a bracelet made with the initials “G” and “F” for Gladys and Fred – pet names Camilla and Charles had for each other.

She also found photos of Camilla in Charles’ diary on their honeymoon, as well as cufflinks with the initials “C” and “C” intertwined.

Five years on from their spectacular wedding, Charles and Diana’s marriage was lost – with Camilla firmly back in the picture.

Given the complicated history of their parents’ relationship, it’s no surprise that William and Harry looked “unhappy and troubled” during Charles and Camilla’s wedding.

Body language expert Judi James analysed three pictures from the day for Fabulous, revealing how the two men really felt on the day.

Going to the Chapel

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William and Harry were joking around to “release any inner tension”, Judi saysCredit: Getty
“Arriving at the ceremony here, the suggestion is that the brothers might have found acted social smiles difficult to produce,” Judi says.

“Both are body language ‘leakers’ with Harry in particular tending to be rather bad at covering up his emotions.”

Despite the pair seeming to be in good spirits en route the civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, something much darker was going on behind the smiles.

“This ‘assumed jollity’ allowed them to release any inner tension, while shared laughter can help to give an outlet to emotions like anger and even grief,” Judi says.

“But there are still two non-verbal signals of the  effort involved here:

“Both brothers have been seen to hold their own stomachs when talking about Diana – it seems to pinpoint an area of shared grief and self-comfort for them.

“Harry is smiling like William but his chin is dropped, making it anything but a polite social smile.”

Formal Affair

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William’s smile looks “rigid and unconvincing” in the formal pictures, Judi analysesCredit: Getty
William and Harry relied on “muscle memory” of royal protocol to look emotionally posed in the wedding’s formal pictures, Judi says.

“There are some subtle signs to give hints of their true feelings here,” she explains.

“While everyone else in the line is staring dutifully into the camera, Harry’s eye-gaze looks distracted.

“This makes it look as though his smile is prompted by something off-camera, rather than by the happy couple to his left.

“Wedding photographers will go to great lengths to get everyone looking straight into the camera and smiling happily so this looks like a deliberate act of disengagement from Harry.”

William’s smile looks “rigid and unconvincing”, and like the product of effort rather than genuine happiness, she adds.

“He and Harry stand in mirrored, fig-leaf hands poses to suggest unity, but their spacing appears telling,” Judi continues.

“While William seems to be something of a peace-maker here, standing close to his father, Harry appears to have created a larger spatial gap between himself and the rest of the line, again suggesting an unwillingness to engage.”

Taking The Vow

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Harry had a “troubled expression” watching his dad wed Camilla, Judi saysCredit: PA:Press Association
Harry’s true feelings at the wedding came through as he watched his father take his vows with a woman that wasn’t Diana, Judi says.

“It can be the smaller moments when the masks slip,” she explains.

“Harry turned his head to look at the bride and groom and his unhappy, troubled expression seems to express it all.

“His loyalty to his mother conflicted with a desire to play ‘happy’ for the sake of his father.”

On the other hand, William kept his head bowed in a ‘pray’ position and wore “a frown that almost suggested tearfulness”.