Trooping the Color is a ceremony held each year to mark the official birthday of the British sovereign. The 2023 event was the first birthday parade for Britain’s new monarch, King Charles III.
During the procession, Prince William rode as Colonel of the Welsh Guards while the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton) rode in a horse-drawn carriage with the couple’s three children. As Kate and the youngsters travelled, a lip reader noticed the princess was giving her children a stern warning to stop them from doing anything.
Here’s what she said, plus what a body language expert observed about the gestures Kate used to make sure the young royals knew what to do.
Lip reader decodes what Kate told her kids to stop doing while they were in the car
Well-wishers lined the streets to see the Princess, Queen Camilla (formerly known as Camilla Parker Bowles), and the Children of Wales ride by in a horse-drawn carriage.
Professional lip reader Jeremy Freeman told the Daily Star he spotted Kate telling George, Charlotte and Louis: ‘Don’t look back while you’re in the coach.’
However, after Kate said this, the camera turned to the children and showed Charlotte defying her mother’s orders and looking back.
Freeman also decoded what Charlotte said to her Great Aunt Sophie (formerly known as the Countess of Wessex) once at Horse Guards Parade as she watched the proceedings from a building.
According to Freeman, Charlotte asked Sophie, “How long will it take?” To which, the Duchess of Edinburgh replied: “I think it is now.”
Body language expert spotted Kate’s cues telling her kids when to wave
A body language expert has also analyzed some of the interactions between the Princess of Wales and her children when they were together in the carriage. Judi James observed the mother-of-three instructing her children when to say hello at certain points on their journey.
James told Fabulous: “Kate’s firm but subtle cues ensure the kids continue to feel excited and, in Louis’ case, excited. She was beaming with pride when Louis began to mimic the drums with the band in the car. In speaking to his children, there were a few gestures of what sounded like advice on when to greet. There was also a spread out gesture of both hands that would normally signify a pretty stern message of when to stop or what not to do as well.
“She also put her hands in full view of the public in the car to act out this ‘stop’ or ‘end’ sign to them as if to warn them where the limits were, and on the way back she made little nods of head and reward smiles for their good. behavior, to ensure that they were also benefiting from the event.
Prince Louis stole the show again
Later, when the family stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with King Charles for the flypast, Prince Louis did what he does best and delighted the crowds with his adorable antics.
The little prince was very lively and made his signature wiper waves to the crowd, he also imitated driving a motorcycle and gave a few salutes.
Showbiz Cheat Sheet recognizes that conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all walks of life