Prince Edward appeared “protective” of Princess Eugenie as he “stepped away from his family” to greet the princess, according to a body language expert.
Both Eugenie and Beatrice made an appearance at the Royal Family’s Christmas celebrations at Sandringham this week as their parents, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, were not invited to the celebrations after their links with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein were thrown into question once more.
Sources had initially revealed that Beatrice had declined King Charles’s invitation to “avoid embarrassment,” however, both were seen at the celebrations.
According to body language expert Judi James, the York sisters wanted to send a message of “resilience”.
Princess Eugenie was greeted by Prince Edward when she arrived for Christmas celebrations in Sandringham
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Ms James also suggested that “The Firm had colluded” in the execution of Beatrice and Eugenie’s public appearance, as the Duke of Edinburgh was spotted stepping away from his own family, to act as a “human ice-breaker”.
She also noted: “Eugenie arrived with the others, walking at the very heart of the royal group as though cocooned by them to show she was still embraced, protected, and even cherished despite her parents’ forced absence.”
Beatrice did not walk alongside her sister but rather was one of the last to be seen, something that the body language expert did note.
She said: “Did Beatrice prefer to appear less committed?
“Why not walk in proudly with her sister? Eugenie has always inherited the late Queen’s capacity for a confident, sustained royal smile, but there were hints Beatrice might not have felt as assured.”
According to Ms James, the body language of the pair suggested the sister wanted to “hold their heads up in public” despite the controversy surrounding their parents.
Judi James claims the sisters wanted to show “resilience” with their appearance
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Neither of the sisters stopped to greet members of the public as they walked to St Mary Magdalene church, and made “subtle” behavioural choices to “avoid” conversations about Andrew.
She continued: “Eugenie fiddled with the buttons of her coat in an auto-contact barrier ritual that suggested a desire to self-protect, hinting at some fear or worry about the fans’ responses during this more intimate part of the outing,” she told the Mail.
Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing in regard to his links to Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre, but has had his royal titles removed by his brother, King Charles.
The disgraced former royal has also been handed notice on his 30-room Grade II mansion, Royal Lodge.
Despite the removal of their parents’ royal titles, the sisters have still retained theirs, and a source has said: “His Majesty is very fond of them.”
King Charles is supportive of the sisters despite their parents, according to a palace source
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Andrew was photographed at Royal Lodge by himself on Christmas Day.
He cut a solitary figure, driving himself out of the royal estate, wrapped in a scarf and a casual waterproof, in stark contrast to his smartly-dressed daughters and their husbands.