Something that's easy to forget: Members of the Royal Family are people too, and just like the rest of us, they can't look happy one hundred percent of the time.
With that in mind, a body language expert has looked back at some of the moments when Queen Camilla—usually always polite and poised in public situations—has betrayed some more negative emotions despite herself.
"It’s taken Camilla so long to try to win the public round after the death of Diana that she’s unlikely to look anything other than sweet, kind, friendly and compliant at royal events," Judi James explained to Express.
"But there have been some moments in the past when her body language has appeared to go off-message and suggest boredom, frostiness or strong irritation."
James is referring in particular to a moment at the Order of The Garter Service at Windsor Castle in 2019, when Princess Kate was speaking animatedly to Queen Letizia of Spain, and Camilla appeared uncomfortable and unable to chime into the chat. (I think we've all been this situation, so it's not hard to imagine how she might have felt.)
"In 2019 there was another unhappy look from Camilla, who appeared frozen out of the conversation between Kate and Letizia of Spain," James commented.
"While the two younger royals seemed to get on like a house on fire, Camilla was seen lurking in the background with no one to talk to."
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Still, that same day, Camilla was pictured speaking happily to Queen Letizia and Kate, so it was probably just one awkward conversations out of many that were had throughout the event.
James also called out a moment when onlookers felt Queen Camilla and Princess Kate appeared to be possibly clashing, during the National Service Of Remembrance in 2022.
"Camilla and Kate were photographed exchanging this terse look on the balcony on Remembrance Day," she said.
"Of course it would have been inappropriate to smile and chat happily on such a poignant occasion but Kate’s lips did appear pursed as Camilla threw her this less-than-friendly glare."
Again, while it's possible that the two women were disagreeing on something that day, it's important to take observations like these with a grain of salt.
As James has said herself, "When we see a photo of a royal looking angry or stressed it can often be a body language 'flash,' i.e. a very fleeting facial expression that has been taken out of context."
However, there are also rumors going around that perhaps the Queen and the Princess of Wales don't get along extremely well, with a source claiming that Camilla has been "consumed with jealousy" since Kate married William in 2011.
Welp. Let's hope for the royals' sake this is all just hearsay.
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
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