Prince Harry felt 'wariness and anxiety' during crowd interaction after royal family snub

The Duke of Sussex has attended a service at St. Paul's Cathedral commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the Invictus Games. 

Despite being accompanied by his late mother's relatives, members of the Royal Family chose not to attend the event on Wednesday.

After the service concluded, Harry engaged with crowds outside the cathedral.

Despite shaking hands and smiling, body language expert Judi James suggested he displayed a 'degree of wariness and anxiety'.

In an exclusive interview to The Mirror, Judi said: "The way Harry takes a virtual 'dive' towards the crowds here, bending his legs and his torso into a bit of a crouch suggests he want to make this pressing of the fans' flesh look spontaneous and impromptu.

"He seems to be bolstered up by the warm greeting as his grin widens with unfiltered pleasure as he shakes the group by their hands, letting everyone know that this is not going to be a long walkabout though by his bent posture.

"Harry still retains the barrier rituals though. One hand is across his torso at all times here and although its function might seem to be to hold his tie back it looks suspiciously like a barrier ritual that suggests a degree of wariness and anxiety here."

Judi also implied that Harry felt "grateful" for the positive reception he got from the crowd, amid concerns reported about potential booing from him and Meghan Markle.

She said: "Despite those medals pinned to his chest and despite the couple of friendly grins he threw at the crowds, Harry's body language here suggested a slightly forlorn and wary inner state as he exited his car and made his way up the steps to the church.

"He buttoned his jacket and then kept his hand there, even replacing it as he shook hands with the clergy, suggesting a need for a partial barrier gesture. His three waves to the crowd were relatively humble rather than royal, with the palm held out and the fingers splayed and more of an over-the-shoulder glance than any creation of a more static and deliberate pose of greeting.

"His grin suggested he was grateful for the reception and keen to create some friendly bonds with the crowds here. The way the grin widened as he turned for one last wave also suggested a possible sense of relief that he had got this very public solo arrival over."