Breaking News: I Just Noticed a Major Shift in Prince William and It All Has to Do with His Body Language—and His Shirt…. See More

I can’t deny that Prince William looked super awkward while posing with soccer/football star David Beckham earlier this month. As a result, I was very eager to see photos from the 42-year-old royal’s latest outing. And let me tell you, the difference in his body language is astonishing.

Let’s start with the event on October 1, when the Prince of Wales attended the launch of London Air Ambulance’s two newest helicopters alongside Beckham. Prince William appeared stiff and awkward next to Beckham, who had open body language while flashing a bright smile.

At the time, PureWow’s VP of entertainment and news Philip Mutz wrote, “As you can see from his body language, [Prince William] is delivering a tight, forced smile and has his hands covering his body, indicating that he wants to be closed off or protected.”

Then came Prince William’s appearance on October 3, which looked like a walk in the park compared to the Beckham outing. In a major shift, the Prince of Wales appeared way more relaxed when he stepped out to celebrate the reopening of the Birtley Community Pool in Tyne and Wear.

The royal seemed calm and comfortable while chatting with well-wishers, delivering a genuine smile and relaxed posture that made him look in his element.

He even joked with a little girl by pointing at her mom’s phone and leaning down to meet her eye-level—a parenting move we’ve seen multiple times.

Perhaps the Prince of Wales felt more comfortable around commonfolk and children than he did around a celebrity. Or maybe the cameras caught him in more candid moments during his latest outing, unlike the posed photos with Beckham. Regardless of the reason, it seems that his shirt symbolized his comfort level.

For example, let’s examine his buttons. Unlike with the Beckham appearance, the Prince of Wales had an extra button on his shirt undone. The royal appeared more relaxed and at ease when compared to other photos of the prince with a tightly buttoned collar.

Maybe I’m looking too far into it. But there’s something to be said about the difference in Prince William’s body language at these two events.