The royal family knows all about body language. Just look at all the funny faces of Prince Louis made at the Platinum Jubilee ! The person he may have inherited this from is his grandma, the late Princess Diana .
With each chin tuck, smirk, and unhappy face , the late royal said so much without saying a word. She could show the world when she was nervous, ashamed, and angry, whether she liked it or not.
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Here, experts break down her body language over the years.
The engagement photos
In this engagement photo of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, you will notice that Charles looks a lot more at ease.
This is likely because he had been in the spotlight his whole life and was used to it.
Princess Diana, on the other hand, was thrust into the spotlight following their engagement.
This explains why royal experts believe she was uncomfortable. The telltale signs include a stiff posture, a slight smile, and an arm across the chest.
The blue suit she wore may also have something to do with how uncomfortable she looked.
“The high neckline and longer skirt would have adhered to Royal protocol, but seems a little too stuffy and sensible for her liking,” according to body language expert Darren Stanton.
The chin tuck
Princess Diana often looked like a scared little doe or a coy child.
One way she conveyed this was through her signature pose: the chin tuck. This is said to be a protective cue, as the chin protects the jugular.
She was often filmed doing the chin tuck, including at her wedding to Prince Charles.
We often do this subconsciously when we’re feeling nervous, shy, ashamed, or scared . And at the time, she was being watched by millions of viewers.
The disconnect
When this photo was taken in Canada in 1986, there were rumors of Prince Charles rekindling his love with his now-wife, Camila.
“If you look at their sad expressions you might think they are at a funeral,” body language expert Patti Wood and author of Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language & Charisma told Reader’s Digest.
The smirk
Although Diana was shy, she was able to showcase her confidence through her clothes.
Like when the newly-engaged royal wore a cleavage-baring dress to a London charity recital in 1981. Royal experts believe that her smile here was the result of the confidence she felt from rocking the dress.
Her genuine happiness
While we all know the hardship she endured during her marriage — and divorce — to Prince Charles, she appeared to be hopeful at the start of their relationship.
At the start, in many photos, her genuine smile shows that she really did believe in their love.
The true joy
Princess Diana was born to be a mother. Just look at the unabashed joy she has here as she holds Prince William!
“So many of her photos show her frozen in posture and gaze, so it’s lovely to see the movement and playfulness [in this image],” Wood said.
The hand touch
As a loving mother, Diana was always physically connected to her children.
According to Susan Constantine, human behavioral expert and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Reading Body Language , she would do things like putting a hand on one of their backs as they were walking.
“This 1-on-1 connection makes children feel safe,” Constantine told ‘Good Housekeeping.’
“It’s an anchoring movement that’s especially important in potentially stressful situations.” She would also bend down toward her children, which proves that they are equal to her. Parents, take note!
The isolation
It’s been said that the royal family’s body language at William’s christening was “like a funeral.”
Judi James, a professional body language expert, analyzed the photos and told Express.co.uk, that no one looked particularly joyful for the 1982 event.
“In the middle of all the mixed reactions, Diana sits, slightly isolated and focusing totally on her new baby.”
She used her little finger as a dummy to keep the baby from crying and appeared determined to “put the care of that child above any royal traditions.”
The contraction
Diana appeared nervous right from the start of her engagement to Prince Charles. In an interview that took place before their wedding, Diana was very contracted. By this, we mean that she was slumped in her chair and had very little space between her shoulders and her neck.
This made her look nervous, almost like a little child.
When Charles was telling a story, she even slumped down further, showing that she was uncomfortable. It’s hard to say if this was how felt with the cameras, with Charles, or both.
The confidence
The last year of Diana’s life was marked by a change in personality.
She appeared a lot more comfortable and confident in her body following her divorce. This especially showed when she was doing charity work, a passion of hers.
One particular moment that stands out was when she was talking to volunteers at a charity that helps battle homelessness.
“She’s sitting comfortably, knees not knit together, her feet not primly pointed,” Wood said. “And you can see how she’s leaning forward, displaying genuine interest in the conversation.”
The revenge look
Hot off the heels of her divorce to Prince Charles, Diana wore what is arguably her most iconic look: the revenge dress.
She paired this look with something you can’t buy in a store: confidence. “Just look at her confidence,” Woods said about how Diana is holding her head high and her shoulders back.
This was a sharp contrast to how she usually looked, which was “head tipped downward, shoulders sloping.”
“You’ll notice how every part of her is lifted, her smile, her arm reaching out, her hand and arm holding her purse, her step,” Woods added. “You can see she knows she looks fantastic.”
