Duchess Sophie displays 'gesture of concern' towards King Charles at Royal Ascot

King Charles joined Camilla and niece Zara Tindall at Royal Ascot earlier this week. The King has been making a gradual return to work over the past couple of months following his cancer diagnosis at the beginning of the year.

It came at a rocky time for the family following Charles' accession in the wake of Queen Elizabeth's death in 2022, increasing issues with Harry and Meghan, and the news that the Princess of Wales had also been diagnosed with cancer. The double health scare has brought the remaining royals closer together, with Prince William and Princess Anne stepping in for the monarch on a number of occasions as he received treatment recently.

But it's no recent development to see 'the Firm' showing care for each other.

Last year, the Duchess of Edinburgh's caring gesture towards the King during the annual horse racing event suggested “hints of concern”, according to a body language expert.

The Royal Family spent their week at Ascot for the annual horseraces which they watched from the Royal Enclosure.

The five-day event saw King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive each afternoon with the Royal Procession, joined by various members of their family.

On the second day of Ascot 2023, the monarch was seen laughing and enjoying his time with Duchess Sophie, the Mirror reported at the time.

However throughout their conversation, one body language expert opined that there were indications during their interactions that Sophie showed some 'concern' for Charles.

Expert Judi James analysed the non-verbal communication between the two royals and told The Daily Express that on at least five separate occasions Sophie seemed to exhibit body language that showed “hints of concern and support”.

She explained: "Touching him on the arm to attract his attention looks like a rather gentle form of social dominance as well as affection.

"Proximity is also a strong signal. The pair stand close to suggest an in-depth conversation.

"Exclusivity also occurs. Camilla is close but not included in the conversation. An even stronger signal of exclusivity comes when Sophie appears to put her hand up in front of her mouth to whisper to Charles."

Judi went on to add that mirroring is a clear sign of closeness as she said: "Sophie and Charles laugh in a similar way and enjoy the racing using mirrored rituals.

"Their changes of emotional state look synchronised too, Sophie clearly knows when to use active listening signals and gestures of concern and when to share a joke."

She opined that their actions showed a "closeness" between the pair and compared the bond to the one Sophie shared with her late father-in-law, Prince Philip.

However, despite the similarities Judi claims that their style is definitely "different".

She continued: "There are parallels here to the close relationship Sophie enjoyed with Charles’s father Prince Philip but Charles and Sophie’s body language here suggests a very different style of relationship bonding.

"Sophie tended to be playful but also slightly distanced from her father-in-law but with Charles here she looks tactile, warm and supportive.”

Ms James concluded that the senior royal women in the Firm seem to have formed a caring and empathetic circle around the new monarch.

She backed up her point by adding: "It was Kate placing an arm around him at the funeral and Zara raced to hug him here at Ascot."

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