Prince Harry was ‘still anxious’ as he left St Paul’s Invictus service and ‘kept his distance from fans on walkabout in case his reception was less than warm’, body language expert says

Prince Harry’s ‘lack of body involvement’ during his walk around London gave him ‘the option of a face-saving exit’ if he had poor reception, an expert said today.

The Duke of Sussex greeted the crowds as he left St Paul’s Cathedral alone yesterday after a service celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.

The estranged royal, who was greeted by cheers from well-wishers, beamed as he shook hands and joked with hundreds of people who lined up to greet him.

And body language expert Judi James told MailOnline that he had clearly marked the walk as ‘short and improvised via his body language announcement rituals’.

These included “bowing to the crowd and shrugging his shoulders to avoid giving the impression that this was a planned event,” the psychologist added. She also said he showed “signs of inner fear” both before and after the service.

And Mrs. James pointed out that Harry “stands back and leans forward rather than making it more of a regal, engaging form of greeting and chatting.”

She said his “lack of body involvement probably gives him the option of a face-saving exit if his reception is less than warm.”

Ms James added: ‘Harry’s crinkly-eyed grin suggests he could be excited and relieved to meet fans in Britain.’

As Harry left the cathedral around 6pm yesterday, he greeted the crowd and heard two fans from New York ask what had brought them to Britain.

When they replied that they were in Britain for a wedding, the prince jokingly asked if it was ‘in there’ – referring to St Paul’s.

The Duke joked with an enthusiastic fan who had her arms out with two phones to try to get the best photo of Harry.

“Why do you have two phones?” he laughed. ‘It does not make any sense!’

The crowd was closely guarded by police officers and shouts of ‘we love you Harry’ could be heard, while others shouted in excitement until Harry got into a Range Rover and was driven away.

Earlier, Harry arrived at St Paul’s just before 5pm for the service which was also attended by close relatives of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales and a mentor who supported him after her death, along with hundreds of members of the ‘Invictus family’.

Analyzing his arrival, Ms James said there were ‘signs of inner anxiety that were visible on the way to the service’, which were ‘still visible’ by the time he made the walk afterwards, and ‘may have even increased ‘.

She said: ‘Harry’s hand-to-tail gesture on the way to the service was a barrier ritual, masked as the buttoning of his jacket.

‘On the way out, however, he puts his hand flat on his stomach and even switches hands when he goes to shake hands with the crowd. At one point his left hand also pulls over his jacket and he starts fiddling with the buttonhole.’

She added that “placing the flat of the hand over the stomach” is a “barrier ritual” he shares with his estranged brother Prince William.

Mrs James continued: ‘Combined with the buttonhole rumbling it implies a desire for self-pleasure. For Harry, it also connects to deeper emotions, as he has used it in the past when talking about his mother. ‘

Among the guests for the service were Diana’s siblings Lady Jane Fellowes and Earl Spencer, and former army officer Mark Dyer, who acted as the Duke’s mentor and played the role of a supportive big brother to Harry after the Princess’s death .

Other notable guests included his cousin Louis Spencer, Prime Minister’s wife Akshata Murty and his lawyer David Sherbourne.

Crowds had gathered around the barriers to see Harry’s car pull up, and Harry greeted them with a wave as he walked up the steps of St. Paul’s before being warmly greeted by the Dean of St. Paul’s, the Very Reverend Andrew Tremlett.

The service at St Paul’s Cathedral in honor of the royal family’s Paralympic-style competition began as Charles met guests at the first Buckingham Palace garden party of the year a few miles away.

The monarch and his son did not meet during Harry’s brief visit to Britain due to the king’s “full schedule,” Harry’s spokesman said in a statement on Tuesday.

There have been reports of trust issues, but the statement had a conciliatory tone, saying the duke hoped to “see him soon.”

Harry was inspired to create the global tournament after attending the 2013 Warrior Games in Colorado and seeing how injured U.S. military personnel thrived on the challenge of participating in competitive sports that aided their recovery.

He then hosted the opening games at London’s Olympic Park in 2014 and the tournament was held around the world, from Orlando and Sydney to Dusseldorf in 2023, while the 2025 event was hosted in Vancouver and Whistler.

The St Paul’s congregation of just over 1,000 people gave a standing ovation after ex-RAF soldier Michelle Turner, husband John and daughter Maya each read verses from a poem describing their experiences following Mrs Turner’s medical discharge , after a tropical illness she contracted during her stay. commitment affected her heart.

Ms Turner, captain of Team UK for the 2018 Games, told guests: ‘Wounded, injured, ill and now without a career: consumed with insecurities, the pain and the fear.

“Our lives were turned upside down, how come the little girl I was supposed to protect was now taking care of me.”

At the end, after her voice broke with emotion as she said, “Thank you Invictus for giving me my life back,” the congregation stood and applauded.

The Dean of St Paul’s echoed her words in his homily when he said the Invictus Games Foundation, which organizes the competition, is ‘… changing lives not just through sport, but literally by saving lives’.

Harry later joined some of the Invictus community for a private reception in the cathedral’s crypt and it is believed he will travel to Nigeria today for a tour of the African country with his wife Meghan.

The King is in Surrey today for a military visit and Prince William is in Cornwall for official engagements.

Charles, Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Engineers, will visit the 3 Royal School of Military Engineering in Minley, before speaking to members of the 8 Engineer Brigade, the centre’s deployable unit.