“What we are given to see is not the representation of the most sincere love there is,” he said.
Stephen Bunard, lecturer, body language expert and author of
Your gestures say out loud what you think in a whisper
(1), analyzed the strange kiss exchanged by Charlene and Albert II of Monaco, on Wednesday June 22, in Oslo.
It was one of the rare public displays of affection from the couple, who came to attend with their twins Jacques and Gabriella, 7, the inauguration of the exhibition
Sailing the Sea of Science,
at the Fram Museum, after a lunch with King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway.
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The enigmatic video of Charlene of Monaco
A representation"
Rumors about a potential divorce from the couple, married since 2011, have been rife since the long absence of the princess, suffering from an ENT infection which kept her in South Africa for several months.
She was subsequently admitted to a specialized establishment in Switzerland, for “physical and emotional exhaustion”.
In the pictures of the inauguration, Charlene and Albert II of Monaco, immortalized from behind and dressed in dark colors, grab each other by the waist and kiss.
If Stephen Bunard specifies that it is "always imperfect to analyze a photo, because one does not have the necessary behavioral dynamics", he finds it difficult to believe in the sincerity of this kiss.
“These are official photos, and from this point of view, it is a representation that they want to give us, in every sense of the word, explains the expert.
It means that the photographer's eye hasn't settled on something authentic, whereas professionals often have this intuitive talent."
The neutrality of Prince Albert II
Before adding: “Proof of this is that they give each other their kiss by looking at each other’s right half-face (
the way the head is turned, editor’s note
).
However, in a sincere kiss, of abandonment, we are in the confrontation of left half-faces.
Maybe they did, but what we are shown is not the most sincere representation of love.
The specialist also underlines the neutrality of the expression of Prince Albert II.
“It does not show any other internal state on the face, maintains Stephen Bunard.
He has no eyebrow or mouth movement, no hint of a smile, no particular drooping of the eyelids.
And he has his head thrown back slightly.
Clichés which, according to him, fail to “demonstrate the reunion and the love” between the prince and his wife.
"There's no giving up, it doesn't convey an image of sincere love and genuine kissing," says the expert.
A “nostalgic feeling”
Full screen
Albert II and Charlene of Monaco pose with their children Jacques and Gabriella.
(Oslo, June 22, 2022.) Abaca
Another photograph of the event, in which the couple poses with their children, also caught the attention of Stephen Bunard.
“If the prince sketches an almost authentic smile, this is not the case with Charlene of Monaco, he declares.
When we hide the lower part of her face, we do not see the princess's eyes smiling.
It is therefore a 100% social smile.
In addition, her gaze goes down, which shows us that she is in a kind of nostalgic feeling.
The specialist also remarks that the princess's head "leans antagonistically to that of Prince Albert".
“However, when people form a group or a couple, the heads generally tend to converge towards each other, he analyzes.
So she unconsciously detaches herself from the group.”
Despite the duo's desire to display a found unity, "the account is not there", concludes the specialist.
(1)
Your gestures say aloud what you think
quietly, by Stephen Bunard, published on March 8, 2018, Ed.
SoBook, 270 p., €20
For more information:
https://www.stephenbunard.com/
