On September 6, 2023, some very prominent members of the Royal Family appeared on The Good, The Bad and The Rugby to mark the start of the Rugby World Cup.
Body language expert Judi James spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk about the dynamics between the royals, making some observations about Mike Tindall and Princess Anne.
Judi suggested that the rugby player turned royal has a great effect on the senior Royal Family members, bringing some “fun” to the Firm.
She said: “The body language shown on this podcast is so revealing in terms of some of the genuine relationships between three of the top-tier royals plus one rather fun, cheeky son-in-law.
“Mike is clearly the catalyst when it comes to making William, Kate and above all Anne relax a little and show their fun side. One of the strongest messages comes from the very clear signals of strong affection and bonding plus mutual respect between Mike and Anne.”
According to Judi, the Princess Royal is a beloved member of the family, with the younger royals truly warming to her.
She claimed: “Anne could easily be seen as a rather daunting mother-in-law with her reputation for being naturally intimidating and not suffering fools gladly, if at all.
“But the way Mike’s facial expression softens when he turns to look at her shows how much he adores her and enjoys her company.
“It’s not even done as a flattering gesture because the facial-softening occurs when he is talking, suggesting some like-minded thinking with Anne plus a shared sense of humour.”
Anne’s popularity extends to the future King too. Judi said: “It’s not just Mike, either.
“William’s features also soften when he looks at his aunt and he produces his warmest, albeit slightly childlike smile when Anne tells how she used to ‘play catch games’ with him when he was a child.”
Judi suggested that the younger royals brought out Anne’s vivacious personality, despite her royal status.
She said: “There are some signals of the ‘royal’ Anne when she performs a power steeple with her fingers or folds her arms at one point as though reserving judgment as she listens to the others talk.
“But she also does a delightful comedy gurn of a wide eye-roll and extended hand to try to move the conversation away from herself and onto William and there are some rituals of pulling her skirt over her legs and finger-fiddling to show off her less dominant and more self-effacing side.”
Judi also spoke to Express.co.uk about Princess Kate’s “superhero” moment during the same podcast appearance, where she interrupted the “most formidable” royal.
