Prince Charles blows a kiss to daughter-in-law Kate Middleton at Service of Thanksgiving

Prince Charles showed a moment of warm affection towards Kate Middleton today at St Paul’s Cathedral when he blew his daughter-in-law a kiss as they met. 

Once the Prince of Wales and Camilla had arrived for the Service of Thanksgiving, the two met with William and Kate before they walked together to their seats. 

On previous occasions, Prince Charles has been seen greeting his daughter-in-law with a kiss on both cheeks, but today cameras captured the sweet moment when the heir to the throne gently blew Kate a kiss, as they met.

However, the Prince of Wales was not seen greeting or interacting with his other daughter-in-law Meghan Markle, after royal aides carefully managed the seating plan to keep Charles, Camilla and the Cambridges separate from the Sussexes. 

Harry and William have had a long-standing feud, while Harry has accused his father Charles of cutting him off financially and Meghan claimed an unnamed royal made a comment about Archie’s skin tone before he was born – with the Sussexes having a war of words with the Palace following last year’s bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview.

It was the first time Harry and Meghan, who now live in California, had been on full public view alongside the Windsors since they quit the monarchy for a new life in the US two years ago. 

Kate is known to have a warm relationship with her father-in-law and has reportedly helped smooth the sometimes fractious relationship between the heir to the throne and his son, William. 

The Duchess was warmly welcomed into the family by Charles after her engagement to William, and she’s been heard affectionately calling him Grandpa in public on previous occasions.  

For today’s service, Kate opted for a sunny yellow dress by Emilia Wickstead, teamed with a matching hat with floral adornments.   

However, there was no interaction captured on camera between Prince Charles and his younger son Prince Harry at today’s service. 

The couple were kept apart from Prince William, Kate, Prince Charles and Camilla after royal aides ensured they sat on the other side of the aisle – and they later left separately. 

The Sussexes did not attend a reception straight after at the nearby Guildhall which featured a series of other Royal Family members and politicians including Prime Minster Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Buckingham Palace officials took great care to try to avoid a repeat of the frosty scenes when the Sussexes and Cambridges sat near each other and left together at their last joint event in March 2020 at Westminster Abbey.

And aides would have been delighted that today’s service in front of 2,000 guests passed without any such incident or negative ‘optics’ given the attempts to ensure today was about the Queen and her 70-year reign.

Kate and William chatted to Prince Charles and Camilla inside the cathedral, but there was no sign of the same rapport with Harry and Meghan who sat in between Lady Sarah Chatto and Princess Eugenie’s husband Jack Brooksbank, and were under strict instructions to keep a low profile during the event.

Harry and Megan walked down the aisle of St Paul’s hand-in-hand after the service, joined by other members of the royal family and following Charles and Camilla and William and Kate – but did not appear with them outside.

The Sussexes turned to talk to Lady Sarah Chatto, who had been sat next to Meghan, and her husband Daniel Chatto. Senior clerics waited to bid the congregation goodbye and Meghan shared a joke with the Archbishop of York and touched Harry’s arm as he joined the conversation. The trio then laughed before the Sussexes moved on. 

Members of the crowd outside St Paul’s sang the National Anthem while they waited for the Royal Family to leave at the end, before Charles and Camilla were the first to walk out as the bells began to toll at the end of the service.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge followed, with Kate waving cheerily to the crowds while chatting to her husband. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left holding hands and were seen chatting to Zara Tindall and her husband Mike. Both Harry and Meghan shook hands with the Lord Mayor before getting into a car.

During today’s service, there were smiles from the Earl and Countess of Wessex as the Archbishop of York referred to the Queen’s love of horse racing, while the Princess Royal nodded her head in approval.

The Archbishop of York said the Queen was ‘still in the saddle’, as he thanked her for ‘staying the course’.

In his sermon at St Paul’s, The Most Rev Stephen Cottrell compared the monarch’s well-known love of horse racing to her long reign, suggesting it ‘reflects the distance of Aintree more than the sprints of Epsom’.

Mr Cottrell told the congregation, which included senior members of the Royal Family, he was ‘sorry’ the Queen could not attend, but glad there is ‘still more to come’.

He said: ‘It is well known that Her Majesty likes horse racing.

‘I don’t have any great tips for the Derby tomorrow, but since the scriptures describe life as a race set before us, let me observe that her long reign reflects the distance of Aintree more than the sprints of Epsom.

‘Certainly, less dressage than most people imagine. But with endurance, through times of change and challenge, joy and sorrow, she continues to offer herself in the service of our country and the Commonwealth.

‘Your Majesty, we’re sorry you’re not with us this morning in person, but you are still in the saddle. And we are all glad that there is still more to come.’

In his address, the Archbishop said the best leaders are those who ‘know how to be led’ and ‘lead for others, not themselves’.

‘People whose heart’s desire is to serve the common good and build up the common life; who don’t try to do it all themselves, or act in their own strength alone; people who take a longer view; and who seek out places of replenishing, even places where they might learn the mind of Christ,’ he said.

‘I say this today, knowing that in Her Majesty the Queen we see an example of this kind of service; a staunch constancy and a steadfast consistency; a faithfulness to God, an obedience to a vocation that is the bedrock of her life.’

The Queen missed out on the service this morning, due to episodic mobility issues that she’s been experiencing. 

Buckingham Palace revealed Her Majesty ‘greatly enjoyed’ her birthday parade and flypast but ‘did experience some discomfort’.

Buckingham Palace said: ‘Taking into account the journey and activity required to participate in tomorrow’s National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, Her Majesty, with great reluctance, has concluded that she will not attend.’

 

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall arrived at the reception and were greeted by the former lord mayor Sir David Wootton and Colonel Simon Duckworth. They were then followed by William and Kate.

It is understood the decision ahead of the service, which was at 11.30am today, was considered regrettable but sensible due to the length of the journey and time involved and the physical demands the service would require.

Senior members of the monarchy attending this morning also include the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who will be joined by the extended royal family.

Tributes were paid to the Queen’s ’70 years of faithful and dedicated service’ in front of 2,000 people including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Cabinet ministers, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and former prime ministers.

Public service was the theme at the heart of the religious event, with 400 people who are recipients of honours, including NHS and key workers who were recognised for their work during the pandemic.

Prince Harry’s jokey manner masked ‘inner anxiety’ about his new status as a royal B-lister, claims body language expert, who says both brothers ‘leaned on wives for emotional support’ at St Paul’s Cathedral

Prince Harry’s ‘inner anxiety’ about his new lesser status in the royal family couldn’t be masked by his jovial manner at St Paul’s Cathedral today, a body language expert has claimed.   

The Duke of Sussex, 37, appeared in high spirits at the National Service of Thanksgiving, as he sat with his wife Meghan Markle and cousins Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice and their respective husbands, Jack Brooksbank, 36, and Edo Mapelli Mozzi, 38.  

However, body language expert Judi James, told FEMAIL that the apparently jokey demeanour of the Prince – including giggling with Jack Brooksbank – was masking genuine fears about an awkward encounter with his brother Prince William. 

James says both brothers appeared to lean heavily for ’emotional support’ on their wives – who cut calm, confident figures – to get through the high profile reunion; two years after Prince Harry’s move to California.

ONE THING IN COMMON: WILLIAM AND HARRY BOTH LEANED ON THEIR WIVES 

Despite their differences, the estranged royal brothers had one thing in common today, says James. 

She explains: ‘William and Harry seemed to share one trait here: both seemed to lean on the strength of their wives for emotional support as they appeared in public under the same roof for the first time since Philip’s service.’

The Sussexes, normally keen on public displays of affection, kept their physical touches to mostly a tight hand grasp upon entering and leaving the ceremony.

James explains: ‘After Meghan’s famous grooming ritual at polo, where she wiped lipstick off Harry’s face, Harry seemed keen to return the favour here, touching his wife’s face as though warning her there was a hair or something that needed checking. 

‘However, apart from this one loving touch and their signature hand clasp there were no overt PDAs, suggesting they really were down-playing their body language for the cameras.’

HARRY: FIDGETING AND CONSTANT CLOTHES-PATTING TO CALM NERVES

The Duke of Sussex may have appeared in high spirits but the weight of a still recent transatlantic move – and that very public interview with Oprah Winfrey – is likely to have played heavily on his mind. 

Says James: ‘Harry’s body language fluctuated but the key theme was inner anxiety. 

‘The man who is an A-list star in the US was suddenly relegated to the royal B-list and it did seem to have an understandable effect.’

She adds: ‘His self-touch, checking rituals of clothing-patting and straightening announced his levels of inner anxiety and the way he held his head down in a lowered angle suggested humility as he and Meghan listened to the response from the public for the first time.’

WILLIAM: ADOPTED PROTECTIVE ‘FIG LEAF’ POSE

Says James: ‘William looked relaxed and chatty on arrival but, like his brother, he showed smaller signs of what looked like inner anxiety, like a muscle that worked away in his jaw and an eye-dart and sucking in of the lips. 

‘He held his hands clasped in the self-protective ‘fig leaf’ pose on the way to his seat and as he walked past his brother on the way out he raised his order of service in a barrier ritual that hinted at discomfort as he turned his head slightly in the other direction.’ 

HARRY: LAUGHING DEMEANOR HIDING INNER WORRIES

Was it case of Harry acting like the ‘class clown’ to diffuse the couple’s return to public life in the UK? 

‘Inside the church Harry did suddenly break out into a couple of ‘fun’ grins when he leaned across and seemed to be doing an open-mouthed smile aimed probably at the Tindalls. 

‘But this more playful look was in such contrast to his subdued behaviour that it also looked as though it could be eruptions of inner tension or nerves,’ says James.

‘Even when he chatted and smiled with Zara after the service was over he was primarily concerned with finding out where his car was.’

DUCHESSES OF CALM: HOW MEGHAN AND KATE STAYED IN CONTROL 

The two leading ladies in this royal show didn’t disappoint, says our body language expert.

‘Meghan’s body language looked solid and impeccable, providing a sense of support and inner strength. 

‘She touched Harry’s waist during one of his ‘fun’ moments as though reminding him they were there with a low profile, but her warm, calm smile never faded even though it did become a bit rigid as they lined up behind William and Kate on the way out.’

And it was exactly the same scenario for the Cambridges, according to our expert:

‘Kate looked similarly rock-like for William, taking the lead as they walked from the car and instigating the waves to the cheering crowd. 

‘Her mouth often fell into the gesture of firmness that she uses when she is in matriarch role and there was a moment during the service when she threw her husband a very strong and meaningful look and small head-nod that suggested she was offering or reminding him of some instructions.’