Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles will have their romance recreated in the hit TV programme The Crown.
An iconic moment during a polo match appeared to have been drawn upon heavily as inspiration.
What did Charles and Camilla’s body language in 1975 reveal?
Body language expert Judi James analysed the image for Express.co.uk.
In the famous photograph Camilla and Charles are seen chatting in front of a tree.
Charles, wearing his polo shirt, is gesticulating as she speaks to his friend.
Judi said: “This iconic shot of Charles and Camilla gained far more interest once their relationship was revealed during his marriage to Diana, meaning the body language was scrutinised and described retrospectively as the signals of a couple in love.
“The carving on the tree behind them suddenly looked like a heart with their initials in it and it was all assumed to be hugely telling in terms of the passion between Charles and the real ‘love of his life.’”
According to the expert it is not surprising The Crown drew on this real life scene for inspiration.
However, directors may have misread the signs in the original photograph.
Judi said: “The Crown have made this pose look openly flirtatious, with Charles looking very dominant, conflicted and dashing while Camilla stares admiringly, arching her back to show off her figure and performing a submissive, pursed-lips smile.”
However, Charles appears far from dominant in this image.
The expert said: “But the truth was that Charles did have many women throwing themselves at him at this time, all smiling and flirting openly with him.
“The clue with this pose with Camilla was her counter-intuitive body language and lack of flirt signals.
“Standing with her hands slung into her jeans pockets and with her posture looking casual and relaxed she appeared to be one of the only potential partners for the Prince who didn’t look fazed by his royal status or his polo-player sexual charisma.
“Standing with her hands slung into her jeans pockets and with her posture looking casual and relaxed she appeared to be one of the only potential partners for the Prince who didn’t look fazed by his royal status or his polo-player sexual charisma.
“She looked calmly tough here, using direct eye contact and a serious facial expression.
“Her pose was all about intensity rather than sycophancy. Her lack of flirtatious or ingratiation signals possibly told us more about their relationship in terms of deep, serious emotions and sense of familiarity.
“She looked like the steely, confident one here and he looked like the one desperately making most of the running.”
The Crown have made Camilla look the less dominant in the pair, Judi claims.
“The pose from The Crown suggests Charles is in a much more dominant, alpha role. As the actress gazes up at him looking cute and admiring, he frowns and narrows his eyes as though he is a tempted man struggling with his feelings,” she said.
“Charles’s intense eye contact with Camilla (and hers for him) showed a much softer and more smitten eye expression though.
“With his arm extended he looked more like a man in love trying to make amends or explain a point to his very focused-looking confidante.”
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Who is Camilla Parker Bowles?
Camilla Parker Bowles is the Duchess of Cornwall and wife of Prince Charles.
Family life
Camilla was born on 17 July 1947 at King’s College Hospital, London, England.
Her parents were Major Bruce Shand and Rosalind Cubitt, the daughter of a baron.
She has a younger sister Annabel Elliot, 69, and a younger brother Mark Shand who passed away in 2014. He sadly died after falling and hitting his head.
Education
Camilla first attended Dumbrells school in Ditchling before moving onto Queen’s Gate School in Queen’s Gate, South Kensington at age 10, where she was known as “Milla”.
She attained one O-level before attending a Mon Fertile finishing school in Tolochenaz, Switzerland.
She then went on to study French at the University of London Institute in Paris.
First marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles
Camilla married Andrew Parker Bowles, an officer, on 4 July 1973, when Camilla was 26. The Queen Mother and Princess Anne attended the big day.
The couple have two children, Tom, who Prince Charles is a godfather to, and Laura.
The couple divorced amicably in March 1995.
Marriage to Prince Charles
Prince Charles told in his biography that he and Camilla had rekindled their love in 1986 after his marriage had “irretrievably broken down”.
They announced their engagement in February 2005, which was the Queen Mother’s.
It is thought to be one of the most valuable rings in the royal collection.
They wed on April 2005 at Windsor Guildhall, where Prince William acted as a witness for the pair, before honeymooning in Scotland at Prince Charles’ home in Birkhall.