King Charles and Prince William's balcony exchange sends clear message to Harry

King Charles may have said nothing directly to his estranged son, Prince Harry, but his actions during Trooping the Colour spoke volumes, especially in the form of a telling public exchange with Prince William.

On Saturday, the monarch marked his official birthday in London with all the expected pomp, flanked by senior working royals on the iconic Buckingham Palace balcony. 

But according to body language expert Judi James, there was more than just ceremonial fanfare in the air, there was a clear and symbolic shift, directed in part toward Harry.

The balcony appearance included King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Kate, their three children, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Anne, with no Prince Harry in sight.

While the King appeared “a little tetchy” earlier in the day during the carriage procession, James noted that by the time the royals stepped out for the RAF flypast, he was all warm smiles and ease, even sharing a light-hearted moment with Prince Louis.

But it was a brief father-son exchange between Charles and William that caught James’s attention.

“This father-son exchange of words looked important and symbolic,” she told The Express.

“Charles tends to pick out the most important people in his life at that time to pay attention to during a balcony appearance. Kate has often been the object of his attention, but to chat to William suggested a new era of warmth and compatibility between the two men.”

“As a message to Harry, Charles and William would have signalled unity and united purpose,” James said.

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