Prince Harry sat down for an interview with Hasan Minhaj for his Doesn’t Know podcast, but things took an unusual turn quite quickly. The comedian welcomed Harry onto the podcast to discuss all kinds of things, including big tech, children on social media, and, unexpetedly Taylor Swift’s feud with Charli XCX.
Hasan asked Harry: “What do you think of this Charli XCX, Taylor Swift beef?”, Harry paused for a moment before asking: “The what?” Hasan continued to ask about Charli’s diss track, while Harry looks absolutely baffled before looking away and laughing.
Seemingly desperate for the conversation to be over, Harry just nodded along, and now body language expert Inbaal Honigman has shared her professional insight. Speaking on behalf of OLBG, she explained that Harry was left confused by the encounter.
She said: “When the line of questioning perplexes him, Prince Harry goes through different stages of confusion.
“At first, we see him trying to focus and understand what is going on. He tilts his head to the side, so that his ear faces the interviewer, suggesting that he’s trying to listen intently. At the same time he blinks rapidly, showing tension, while also raising his chin, to try and appear dominant. So initially he’s confused but determined to figure out what the questioner means.
“Then, when he understands that it’s a joke, Harry is actually a little relieved. He starts to wiggle his feet, happy that this isn’t a serious question. Harry is also seen looking to the side, as if trying to be in on the joke.”
Inbaal recognised that Harry was looking for some kind of support, adding: “He’s looking for someone off-screen to make eye contact with, so that they can laugh about it together. Clenching his jaw a bit, suggests that he’s still uncomfortable.”
She continued: “Listening to the rest of the rambling question, the Prince’s face presents a dampened smile. This is a hidden, joyful smile which touches the cheeks and eyes, but the lips are turned downwards, attempting to conceal his happiness. He’s enjoying the joke but he’s not sure whether he’s meant to be showing it.
“When it’s time to reply, Harry looks to the heavens, thinking what to answer, but this faraway glance also tells us that he’d rather not be there at that moment. Looking away in such a pointed way, breaking eye contact, demonstrably shows that Harry has disengaged. Sniffing his nose also suggests disengagement, while rubbing his nose with the back of his hand indicates some nervousness.
“Harry isn’t angry or annoyed with the joke, but he’s certainly eager for it to be over.”