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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Zoe Forsey & Jennifer Newton

King Charles' 'four-move signal' proves he's determined to ignore Harry's attacks - expert

King Charles showed four strong signals that he's determined to ignore his son's latest raft of attacks on the royal family as he carried out his first engagement since the release of Spare, a body language expert has claimed.

Prince Harry took aim at several members of his family in his memoir, which hit the shelves earlier this week, but Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate came under particularly heavy fire.

Harry also accused Charles of "not being made for single parenthood", claimed he made cruel jokes about his "real father" and shared details of an emotional heart-to-heart in which the King admitted he was to blame for his son's struggles.

But royal sources have said that while the family are hurt and angry about the allegations, it's very much "business as usual" behind Palace walls - and body language expert Judi James claims Charles' actions at his first engagement of 2023 rang true to that.

Charles wore a traditional kilt for his Scottish outing (PA)
Charles chats to wellwishers in Aberdeenshire (PA)

Charles visited the Mid-Deeside Community Shed, near Aboyne in Aberdeenshire, to meet representatives of organisations working in community groups across the region.

Judi tells The Mirror: "If Charles’s secret nickname for Meghan was said to be ‘tungsten’ for being tough and unbending then his could well be ‘Teflon’ for his ability to signal it’s ‘business as usual’ despite being pelted with revelations from his younger son’s book.

"There are four powerful body language signals here to announce Charles’s determination to ignore the book-barbs and the private conversations that were revealed. First there is his smile. This grin goes way beyond social etiquette. His face is wreathed in the smile with the upper cheek raised and rounded at cheekbone level.

Charles smiles as he tours the Aboyne and Mid Deeside Community Shed (PA)

"His whole face is reddened and wrinkled by the smile and it bares his teeth while forming an angular shape of the lower lip as well as narrowing his eyes into an eye smile. There is little of the kind of overkill tension here that would create a rictus effect, meaning he looks genuinely jolly.

"Charles also announces he is in a playful mood here. His pointing gestures as he speaks to the crowd announce his intention to be humorous and his laugh is more of a chortle that comes with enough eye contact to show he wants to share his joke with the people he meets.

"Charles never looks happier than when he is wearing a kilt and this outfit allows him to assume a confident, almost jaunty gesture as he hangs one thumb into the pocket of his waistcoat. His free hand is used as a method of signaling and communication here and he even slaps it on his thigh as he laughs at one point to suggest he is having the best time ever.

Charles signs a visitor book while out in Aberdeenshire today (PA)

"His last signal of upbeat resilience is his desire to linger. He sees the camera but there is no scuttling inside, instead he chats longer with the fans."

During the visit, Charles, dressed in a hunting Stewart tartan kilt, unveiled the plaque made by Men’s Shed member Tony Atherton, to a round of applause and said: "I am very impressed.”

The plaque reads: "This plaque was unveiled to commemorate the visit of His Majesty King Charles III to Aboyne Men’s Shed on Thursday 12th January.”

After admiring it, Charles quipped: “Has he spelt it all right?”

Prince William and Princess Kate were also out and about today, officially opening the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

As they walked into the building, people in the crowds shouted questions about Harry's book, asking William if he was hurt by his brother's claims.

A YouGov poll has found the popularity of Harry has fallen since his book was published with 68% of 1,691 adults, polled on Tuesday and Wednesday, having a negative opinion about him while 24% thought positively.

The online research data group said the figures meant the duke had his lowest ever net favourability rating of minus 44, down from minus 38 last week, which had been his previous record low.

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