All eyes were on Prince William and Prince Harry as the two brothers walked together to unveil a statue of their mother Diana.
There has famously been a rift between the two brothers in recent years, with Harry describing their relationship as mostly ‘space’ when he gave an interview to Oprah Winfrey.
But despite this, their mirrored body language today showed their ‘deeper bonds of love’ for one another, an expert has suggested.
The brothers were side by side as they entered the Kensington Palace garden, both with their left hands touching their stomachs.
Body language expert Judi James said: ‘Their smiles, when they emerged, were a little bit rigid, but they did emerge side by side.
‘And I think what was more important was that their body language was very mirrored as they arrived – a sort of subliminal bonding.
‘The mirroring would very much show their deeper bonds of love for one another.’
Describing their mannerisms and interaction, Ms James added: ‘There was little in the way of anxiety rituals which, considering they were very wary of the fact that people were going to be reading their body language, I think they managed it extremely well.
‘There was no real tension in their posture. Harry fiddled with his wedding ring which is clearly a reference to seeing his family as a source of comfort under pressure.’
She suggested that Harry put in more effort to make William laugh, but that was typical of their previous appearances in the past.
‘Harry was more energetic. I think he was maybe putting in a little more effort to make William laugh.
‘He was a bit more animated. He threw probably more glances at William.
‘But that’s very much how their relationship always was in the good old days.’
She said Harry gave quite a few wide grins, and William kept his slightly rounded cheeks of good humour when they caught one another’s eye.
‘There were no little dark glances exchanged or anything like that,’ she added.
At the moment when they actually unveiled the statue, they appeared to both be sharing the moment, she said.
‘There was a slight moment of reflection and then Harry glanced straight across at William,’ she said.
‘In a way that was probably the most profound gesture. It was as though Harry did want to share that moment with his brother.’
William and Harry were just 15 and 12 when their mother was killed in a car crash in 1997.
Today’s ceremony was the first time the brothers had been together since the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral in April, after which Harry returned to California where he lives with his wife Meghan and children Archie and Lilbet Diana after stepping back as a senior working royal.
In a joint statement the brothers said: ‘Today, on what would have been our mother’s 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength and character – qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better.
‘Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope is that this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy.’
The princes went on to praise those involved in making the project come to life, from sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley to garden designer Pip Morrison.
They also thanked ‘friends and donors who helped make this happen, and to all those around the world who keep our mother’s memory alive’.
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