By Marisa Laudadio
7:08pm PST, Mar 4, 2026
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Prince William and
Kate Middleton looked every bit the glamorous royal couple as they stepped onto the BAFTAs red carpet. But some observers say there were subtle signs that things were tense behind the scenes.
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Prince William and Kate Middleton attended the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards in London after what had been a difficult few days for Britain's royal family following the arrest of the Prince of Wales' uncle,
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, on suspicion of misconduct in public office. While the couple appeared poised and polished, body language expert
Judi James told
HELLO! magazine that their demeanor hinted at strain. "William and Kate delivered their usual impeccable red carpet A-list glamour here, but there are a handful of tells that might reflect the undeniable tensions of the past week," James explained.
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According to body language expert Judi James, Prince William and Kate Middleton's noticeable lack of their usual supportive touches set off alarm bells. "[The royals] walk side by side with their arms hanging loose at their sides, with a closeness of the dangling inner hands suggesting a desire to clasp hands here or perhaps to perform the kind of signature truncated touches, pats and strokes they often give each other to support each other at events like this," James told HELLO!.
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Prince William also appeared to show signs of stress, according to body language expert Judi James. "Instead of touching, though, we can see the fingers of William's right hand slightly curled so that his index finger touches his thumb, hinting at a self-soothe ritual," James explained. She also pointed out moments "where his lips are pulled inward and his brows pulled into a small frown, suggesting some anxiety."
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While Kate Middleton was smiling throughout the evening, the body language expert suggested even that could hint at underlying issues. "Kate's smiles are as impeccable as usual, although there is a very slightly edge-to-edge placing of the teeth, which again could signal inner tension," Judi James explained.
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Prince William hinted at his mindset when discussing the film
Hamnet, which won for outstanding British film. On the red carpet, he was asked if he'd seen the movie. "I need to be in quite a calm state and I am not at the moment. I will save it," he said, as reported by
DailyMail.com. Kate Middleton, however, did watch the drama and was left in "floods of tears," William shared.
