King Charles Gets “Nervous” and “Uneasy” When Queen Camilla Isn’t Around Him

Long before she was Queen Camilla and was instead Camilla Parker-Bowles (or, even before that, Camilla Shand), Camilla has been a bedrock of support for her husband, King Charles. The King, who has always been shy and reserved, gets especially nervous when his wife isn’t nearby, OK reports.

“King Charles’ key gestures are firstly to do with when he’s not feeling confident, when he’s a little unsure of himself, or when he’s looking for Camilla,” said body language expert Darren Stanton, speaking on behalf of Betfair. “He tends to get a little stressed when Camilla isn’t in his eye line because she gives him a lot of strength. Little key indicators are when he plays with his cufflinks or with the cuffs on his shirt and jacket.”

Stanton said Charles’ body movements are similar to his mother, Queen Elizabeth, and son, Prince William: “Another move Charles tends to make quite a lot is he’ll scratch his nose,” he said. “Just like with the Queen, she had a signal with her assistants that if she had her handbag in her left hand and then switched it to her right, that meant ‘get me out of here’—Charles tends to reach for his nose when he is ready to move on from a conversation.”

Stanton also said the King used to put his hands in his jacket frequently when he was young, which is something William now emulates. Per The Daily Express, Charles has become more confident over the years so the “pacifying gestures”—done when one is trying to “self-reassure”—are seen less often. Some of these gestures include “brushing imaginary dust on his jacket” when he feels “nervous” and “uneasy.” 

“King Charles has evolved a bit over the years,” Stanton said. “He has become more confident in himself, especially since becoming King, so we tend to see these gestures less and less.” And even less so when Camilla is around, as she provides the King with “a lot of strength,” Stanton said.