Prince Philip’s Face ‘Lights up’ Around Penny Knatchbull in Photos
TL;DR:
- According to a body language expert, Prince Philip and his “confidante” Penny Knatchbull were a “complementary duo.”
- Prince Philip looked “engaged and amused” as he talked to Penny Knatchbull in photos.
- Photos showed Penny Knatchbull’s seemingly “stoic personality” similar to that of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II.
A body language expert’s taken a closer look at Prince Philip’s friendship with Penny Knatchbull. Recreated in The Crown Season 5, photos of the pair show them as a “complementary duo.” Ahead, an expert explains what images suggested about the two.
Prince Philip’s ‘confidante’ Penny Knatchbull
“Penelope was always referred to as Philip’s ‘confidante,’ James told the U.K.’s Express. Formally known as the Countess Mountbatten of Burma, Knatchbull’s the wife of Norton Knatchbull, godson to Philip.
“It seems to be only royal males who are unable to cope with life without a ‘confidante,’ which is a term few of us use to describe our own friends or even ‘best’ mates,” James continued.
The moniker, she explained, suggests Philip and Knatchbull were close. “It implies shared experiences, knowledge and even secrets: someone you might turn to when you’re off-loading your life challenges and problems, and clearly someone you have total trust in.”
Body language expert explains ‘complementary duo’ of Prince Philip and Penny Knatchbull
James delved into the dynamic between Philip and Knatchbull as it related to their body language. Looking at images of the pair, she remarked “It’s clear that the Prince and his best friend made a very elegant and complementary duo.”
Explaining her observation, James said, “Many royals could look tense in Philip’s company, including his sons, but Penelope always looked relaxed and at the same time rather regal.”
Meanwhile, James noticed how “Philip’s face clearly lights up when he uses eye contact here and he looks genuinely engaged and amused by Penelope when they chat.”
Examining a photo of the two in a car, James said “Penelope’s raised brows as she looks down smiling suggests she is delighted to be in his company.” Whereas when they were seen standing together Knatchbull exhibited a personality trait shared by the queen and Philip.
“When they stand together there is the signature gesture of her folded arms that suggest a confident and similarly stoic personality as both Philip and the late Queen,” James explained.
Penny Knatchbull’d body language hinted she was ‘protective’ of Prince Philip, expert says
James continued, examining Knatchbull’s movements and expressions around the Duke of Edinburgh in his later years. She told the outlet Knatchbull, now 69, she noticed her glancing at Philip, suggesting she’d been checking in on the late royal.
“Some poses suggested she was also keen to keep a protective eye on Philip as he got older,” James said. “As in the shot of her standing behind the Queen and her husband while Penelope stands behind, glancing across at Philip with a worried-looking downturned mouth.”
Knatchbull was among the 30 guests at Philip’s funeral following his death on April 9, 2021, at 99. She also attended Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on Sept. 19, 2022.
