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Royal fans and tourists couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw Prince William playing a cricket on the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace.

The future king was dressed casually as he joined England captain Joe Root, West Indies great Brian Laraon, as well as ex-India cricket captains Ajinkya Rahane and Sourav Ganguly on the impromptu pitch. This was to celebrate Mumbai hosting his Earthshot Prize in November. The Prince of Wales also did a walkabout and greeted people in the crowd who gathered to watch him.

In one picture going viral online, William is seen joking with fans and even puts his hands over his eyes, mimicking John McGinn’s trademark celebration, in which he cups his thumbs and index fingers upside down over his eyes like a pair of goggles.

“Oh you big dork! I love him,” one user gushed on X, while another one commented, “He’s so dad.”

A third person posted, “Lucky woman is Mrs. Wales who married the joker.” And a fourth added, “William knows what to do and does it well.”

Now an expert is breaking down some of the prince’s other gestures during the game and noticed that William demonstrated a desire to really get in and get his hands dirty, which is a big reason he is so great at building rapport with people. 

Darren Stanton is a body language and behavioral expert with a degree in psychology. He previously worked as a police officer and used his expertise to uncover the truth when interviewing hundreds of suspects. He later moved into media and has been dubbed the “Human Lie Detector.” Stanton frequently offers his expert analysis on high-profile public figures such as the royals.

Speaking on behalf of CanadaCasino, Stanton told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “We know that William is very, very competitive. He likes to get hands-on. In a normal situation this could be seen as a sign of aggression, but in this sporting environment it reads more as determination and shows he is really throwing himself into the engagement.

“This desire to properly immerse himself in the game is further demonstrated by signs of intense concentration. His eyes are fixed on a particular position, and you can see the jawbone and cheekbone tensing. It means he’s extremely focused and concentrating on what’s going on in front of him. He is totally immersed, and this is something we see from William a lot.”

Stanton continued, “What’s really great about Prince William is that he likes to get his hands dirty and wants to get stuck in. He’s not a person who sits on the sidelines and watches … Part of that is that he doesn’t rest on his laurels as a future king or a prince. He never puts himself above anybody else. It shows that he’s having fun, playing sport, and interacting with people on their level.”

The expert concluded, “So whilst in normal circumstances these gestures would appear aggressive, here it comes across as humility and respect for the people he is playing with. He’s very approachable, and he always gives people the respect they deserve, which was demonstrated here as well when he lowers his height to make sure that rapport was established.

“He is so good at reading a situation, and the way he lets his competitive instincts shine through here helps him establish a strong rapport with the other competitors who are equally invested.”

Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges that conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.

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