A body language expert has claimed that the King appeared to be “masking a smile” as he attended the first day of Royal Ascot alongside his wife, Queen Camilla on Tuesday June 20. He added that the look on the monarch’s face likely showed that he didn’t “want to be there”. The Palace has not yet announced whether the royal couple will attend any more days of Royal Ascot this week.
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Speaking on behalf of BonusCodeBets, Stanton added: “He’s putting on a masking smile, which is to try and show some kind of enjoyment. We tend to use masking smiles to avoid being rude or seeming ungrateful – it could even be when we’re not feeling great.”
He also added that the King could be finding some recent events as “daunting”, particularly as they are some of the continuous firsts without the late Queen.
The expert said: “Perhaps he doesn’t want to be there or he found it too upsetting. All the events that are happening this year will be without the Queen being front and centre and he’s finding it daunting, even though he has been preparing for decades.
“It was a masking smile for the cameras. I didn’t think it was a genuine sign of enjoyment, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing – it is a part of his obligation as monarch to attend these events.
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“It’s a very poignant moment for him and these kind of events will bring back memories for him. There’s going to be a lot of triggers at Royal Ascot that will trigger emotions for the King, including sadness.
“Overall, it appears to find it overwhelming and daunting. He’s doing his best to put on a brave face while being emotional.”
A sweet tribute was paid to the late Queen on Tuesday as the King and Queen Camilla shared a message for racegoers on the first day of Royal Ascot.
The late Queen, who had a passion for horse racing, was known for being a keen attendee at the annual event.
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The foreword for the official racing programme, which was signed by the new King and Queen, highlighted the late Queen’s “central role” in the annual event.
As well as expressing their “delight” over the event, the royal couple said: “The Royal meeting always played a central role in Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s calendar and the naming of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes will be a most appropriate way to mark this lifelong interest.
“A photographic exhibition in the Grandstand will also celebrate The late Queen’s close association with Royal Ascot, including images of some of her twenty four winners. We are sure that this exhibition will prompt many happy memories.”
