Prince William appeared ‘tense’ and ‘struggling with a desire to fight back’ but grew ‘confident and relaxed’ as he attended Tusk Awards hours after Omid Scobie’s book release, body language expert says

Prince William appeared ‘tense’ and ‘struggling with a desire to fight back’ upon his arrival at the Tusk Conservation Awards – amid the release of royal biographer Omid Scobie‘s new book, a body language expert has claimed.

However, the Prince of Wales, 41, managed an apparent ‘turnaround’ as the evening continued at the The Savoy Hotel on The Strand in London, Judi James told FEMAIL.

She said the royal performed ‘some of his most socially relaxed and engaged body language signals to date’ after initially expressing ‘some clues that he might just be struggling with a desire to fight back against some of the claims in this new book’.

Mr Scobie claimed in Endgame, which had been published in Australia at the time of William’s outing before being released today in the UK, that the royal has rejected attempts by Prince Harry to set up meetings this year.

The Sussexes’ preferred royal reporter said the Duke of Sussex made two attempts to set up meetings with William in the wake of his bombshell memoir, Spare, which was released in January, but that the Prince of Wales refused both attempts.

Prince William (pictured) appeared ‘tense’ and ‘struggling with a desire to fight back’ upon his arrival at the Tusk Conservation Awards – amid the release of royal biographer Omid Scobie’s new book, a body language expert has claimed

William smiled warmly as he greeted organisers upon his arrival at yesterday’s awards, but Judi said: ‘The prince tends to be the one who struggles most in the Firm when it comes to hiding his inner feelings during times of personal attack and his arrival body language at this event did throw out some clues that he might just be struggling with a desire to fight back against some of the claims in this new book.

‘His teeth look slightly clenched to suggest tension as he parts his lips to smile and there is a lack of the kind of wrinkling around the sides of his eyes that helps form an eye-smile to signal genuine good humour. 

‘His feet are widely splayed in a gesture of physical strength and his trait of tugging at his cuffs suggests a subliminal desire to get ready for a fight.’

She continued: ‘These are suppressed leakage signals though that he contains beneath a charming exterior and as the event goes on the mantra ‘What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger’ seems to apply, because during the evening there is an apparent turnaround as he performs some of his most socially relaxed and engaged body language signals to date.

‘His speech shows his ability to push any negative thoughts aside and focus on his cause. Mingling with guests he looks on sparking form. 

‘With a drink in one hand he is suddenly confident enough to put the other hand in one pocket, not in a desire to hide by stuffing the hand away, but in a gesture that deserves that old-fashioned word: suave.

William and rock ‘n’ roll royalty Ronnie shared a chuckle as they both chatted during the awards

The Prince of Wales (left) speaks with Sally and Ronnie Wood at the 11th annual Tusk Conservation Awards at the Savoy Hotel

In his keynote address, the Prince hailed the ceremony as ‘a rare moment to reflect on the significant achievements of our award winners and to recognise the challenges they face each and every day’

‘Chatting to Ronnie Wood he even takes the lead in a rather tactile and immersive-looking conversation by holding Ronnie’s bicep as he talks. His smiles of pleasure now look relaxed and totally authentic, with that give-away eye-wrinkle that was missing on his arrival.

‘William’s body language has often suggested some social shyness or awkwardness but if there is a “Scobie” effect it seems to have been nothing but positive when it comes to William’s new-found look of totally enhanced body language confidence here,’ concluded Judi.

As the Prince presented awards and made a speech in his role as patron at the ceremony yesterday, he was shaking off some explosive claims published in Endgame about his role in the royal family and the fractured relationship he now shares with his brother. 

In a chapter about the Prince of Wales, Scobie recounts meeting one of the royal’s former aides and asking them whether William and Kate have made note of the ‘difficulties of being the spare to the heir’.

Will opted for a chic navy suit and printed tie as he arrived at The Savoy for the award ceremony

William chatted with Franck Arnold – the Managing Director & Regional Vice-President at The Savoy London

The source said: ‘[Prince William] has read passages but not the full thing… Harry’s experience is very different to [that of William’s] own children.’ 

Elsewhere in the book, Scobie claims that Prince Harry tried to reach out to his brother on two separate occasions while he was in London. 

At the time, the royal’s memoir had only been out for a matter of weeks – and his attempts at contacting Prince William fell on deaf ears.

Scobie claims: ‘In February and March, the Prince turned to a mutual friend in London to try to set up a conversation with his brother, but the attempts were ignored.’

Prince Harry made a series of damaging claims about his brother in his memoir – including going into detail about one alleged incident where Prince William ‘knocked him into a dog bowl that cracked and cut his back’ within the Kensington Palace estate.

Omid Scobie’s new book Endgame about the Royal Family is released today

What’s more, the Duke of Sussex also claimed that the Prince and Princess of Wales ‘told him to wear’ the infamous Nazi fancy dress costume and ‘howled with laughter’ when they saw him in it.

While promoting his memoir in January, Prince Harry invited The Daily Telegraph‘s Bryony Gordon into the family’s Montecito home – where he revealed he ‘worries’ about the Prince and Princess of Wales’ children. 

He said at the time: ‘And though William and I have talked about it once or twice, and he has made it very clear to me that his kids are not my responsibility.

‘I still feel a responsibility knowing that out of those three children, at least one will end up like me, the spare. And that hurts, that worries me.’