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    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Prince William's Down-to-Earth Outing Shows He "Doesn't Rest on His Laurels as a Future King," Says Royal Expert

    “He's not a person who sits on the sidelines and watches.”

    Kristin Contino's avatar
    By Kristin Contino
    Published 14 October 2026 In News

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    Prince William holding a cricket bat
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
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    Prince William turned the road leading to Buckingham Palace into a makeshift cricket pitch on October 13, joining in for a game with cricketing stars from the United Kingdom and India. The Mall, which runs from the palace to London’s Trafalgar Square, was taken over to celebrate the Earthshot Prize coming to Mumbai next month—and body language expert Darren Stanton says the event showed the Prince of Wales at his best.

    ‘What's really great about Prince William is that he likes to get his hands dirty and wants to get stuck in,” Stanton, speaking on behalf of CanadaCasino, says. “He's not a person who sits on the sidelines and watches.”

    The Prince and Princess of Wales are famously competitive and love trying out sports during royal engagements, and Stanton adds that William “wants to get stuck in” and showed through his body language “how seriously he is taking it.”

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    Prince William playing cricket in front of Buckingham Palace

    Prince William joined former England cricketer Sir James Anderson and Indian former cricketer Sourav Gangul for a friendly game outside Buckingham Palace on October 13.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Prince William playing cricket in front of Buckingham Palace

    The Prince of Wales was deep in concentration during the match.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    “His eyes are fixed on a particular position, and you can see the jawbone and cheekbone tensing,” Stanton says of the Prince of Wales during the match. “It means he's extremely focused and concentrating on what's going on in front of him.”

    Reflecting on how Prince William wants to get involved with people he’s meeting, the body language expert notes that “part of that is that he doesn't rest on his laurels as a future King or a prince,” adding that William “never puts himself above anybody else.”

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    “It shows that he's having fun, playing sport, and interacting with people on their level,” Stanton shares.

    Prince William taking a selfie with a crowd of people

    Prince William stopped for selfies with fans along The Mall.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Prince William also surprised tourists who were visiting the palace, shaking hands, chatting about Aston Villa and snapping pictures with members of the crowd who watched the pick-up cricket match.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

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    “He's very approachable, and he always gives people the respect they deserve, which was demonstrated here as well when he lowers his height to make sure that rapport was established,” Stanton says.

    Explore More
    Prince William
    Kristin Contino
    Kristin Contino
    Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

    Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

    Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

    Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.

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