Princess Charlene and Prince Albert show ‘tension’ at gala – claim

Charlene, Princess of Monaco and Prince Albert marked their 12th wedding anniversary on July 3, 2023, but have rarely been seen together in public as of late.

The Monagesque royals did make an appearance over the weekend, however, when they stepped out arm-in-arm at the 74th annual Red Cross Ball, the largest charity gala in the world.

While their relationship hasn’t been without its hardship, the couple, who wed just months after Prince William and Princess Kate in 2011, put on somewhat of a united front for the occasion.

Charlene, 45, looked radiant in a glistening white gown which matched Prince Albert’s white silk jacket. Despite their co-ordinated outfits, a body language expert claimed that the couple looked far from a loved-up.

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Judi James observed: “Charlene and Albert look tense and awkward here and, despite the wedding day style of their outfits, there is none of the kind of shared or even intimate tie-signs that might suggest any ongoing, affectionate communication, like exchanged, warm eye-contact or small touches or even synchronised and congruent smiles.”

The body language professional continued: “The fact they are here together and posing together is presumably an intention to present a united front.

“But this is headline-statement body language rather than the subtle and more compelling type of non-verbal signs of authentic affection.

“What is lacking in these photos are those smaller moments when a couple catch each other’s eye and smile or their features soften to suggest happiness together.”

While she claimed that the “formality” between the royals doesn’t appear to be dictated by their regal status, it is telling of their high-profile reputation nonetheless.

Judi observed that Albert doesn’t adopt the kind of fully upright “standing to attention” pose that might have been a neutral opt-out if he wanted to say nothing other than status with his body language.

She explained that instead, “his arms either hang towards the front of his torso in what looks like anxiety and a desire to hide”, or he has his arm crooked and hand balled into a fist.

The mannerisms analyst claimed: “The biggest ‘tell’ for them both appears to be their hand positions when they link arms. Albert’s balled hand looks tense but Charlene’s hand seems to grasp his arm in an even more awkward position.”

She continued: “Her fingers either look pressed into his upper arm via the fingertips or they are bent inward, with the thumb in particular bent acutely at the upper joint.

“These are not relaxed hand gestures and the tension appears reflected in their smiles, which look like forced mouth smiles that don’t reach the eyes.”

Their tense presence comes after years of public marital unrest between the couple, who recently shut down “unfounded” and “malicious” rumours of their separation which were published by the French magazine Royauté.

In spite of their statement, however, the couple appears no happier than on previous occasions, for example, at the Monaco Grand Prix in May, when royal fans commented on the Princess’s blank facial expressions.

Judi suggested: “After all Charlene’s challenges it would be good to see moments of relaxation and gestures of shared happiness between the two to reassure the fans and maybe their apparent tension is caused by pressure to perform for the cameras, but their body language together here lacks the kind of mirroring or synchronicity that might give conclusive reassurance.”