King Charles’s Royal Family ‘Wing-Woman’ Isn’t Queen Camilla

Queen Camilla might be King Charles III’s wife of nearly 20 years, but she’s not, per a body language expert, the monarch’s “wing-woman.” The unofficial title goes instead to the king’s only sister, Princess Anne. Formally known as the Princess Royal, Anne is one of few people who can “get close” to King Charles. 

King Charles and Anne are close despite fighting ‘like cats and dogs’ 

Speaking to the U.K.’s Express about the king’s relationship with his sister, body language expert Judi James said they’ve oftentimes “veered between devoted affection,” and, as Anne once described, “fighting ‘like cats and dogs.’”

“Even as children,”  the expert explained, “there were body language signals of deep affection which, following the death of their parents and Charles’s coronation, seems to have emerged as a close friendship that Charles, in particular, seems to be grateful for.” 

“Over the past decade, Charles has looked increasingly close to and relaxed with his sister,” James said. “And, in turn, she has stepped up as his wing-woman and supporter.” 

Sure, King Charles and Anne, like most siblings, have “disagreements between them.” Anne, James noted, demonstrated it firsthand in April 2023 “when she looked and sounded scathingly dismissive” of King Charles’s “new ‘slimmed down’ royal Firm.”

However, as the body language expert pointed out, “Charles might appreciate a close family member who speaks her mind rather than one who stabs him in the back.”

Anne can ‘get close’ to King Charles ‘in a way that few other people can’

“In Anne, Charles has a friend who is able to break past royal protocol to get close in a way that few other people can,” James continued. Examining a photo of the two at 2012’s Royal Ascot, the expert noted Anne’s gaze at her brother. 

“The proximity is important here, and Anne combines it with some close-up face-gazing as she studies her brother’s expression, clearly enjoying and fuelling his beaming smile,” she said. 

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“In Anne, Charles has a female family member who not only shares his history and understands him deeply but who also ‘gets’ the experiences of royal life, much as his mother used to,” James said. 

“Royal visits entail constant meetings with strangers so sitting enjoying a joke with his sister here must offer Charles an opportunity to relax and have fun,” she remarked on the photo. 

Princess Anne brings out the ‘more relaxed’ side of King Charles

Not only is Anne King Charles’s so-called “wing-woman” but the 72-year-old’s presence seems to bring out certain facets of the king’s personality, James said. 

“Charles seems to have returned to a more relaxed, fun-loving, and even performer version of himself recently,” the expert told Express. “And photos of Anne and Charles together will often show a shared sense of humour [sic] and fun.”

Famously stoic Anne even breaks out in laughter with her older brother. “Charles seems to make Anne laugh in a way that she will often avoid during more public and formal events and she will see from his body language that he loves to do it,” James said. 

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