On the darkest day since the Queen’s death, Kate, Princess of Wales, appeared quietly grieving as she followed the coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall by car. She was joined by Sophie, Countess of Wessex – who “swallowed back tears” – and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, who wore a “perfect expression” as they joined their husbands and other royals for the service in the historic hall. . The royal family “appeared to be choreographed like flying geese for this appearance, walking in a very formal formation,” according to body language expert Judi James. The Queen’s coffin was draped in the Royal Standard and adorned with the glittering, priceless Imperial State Crown on a purple velvet cushion and a wreath of white flowers for the procession to the repose. William, Prince of Wales, and Harry, Duke of Sussex, once again put aside their ongoing feud and stood side by side as they escorted their beloved grandmother to the Houses of Parliament. All the women in the royal family showed their grief in different ways as they attended Queen Elizabeth II’s service on Wednesday, a body language expert said. Pictured: Kate, Princess of Wales (left) and Harry and Meghan – Duke and Duchess of Sussex (right) – appear in Westminster Hall on Wednesday Ms James told MailOnline that the formality of the occasion was only broken for a brief moment when Prince Harry and his wife Meghan “reached out to hold hands as they exited the service behind William and Kate”. He said: “Their gesture seemed almost desperately necessary and they were the only couple who actually recognized each other and fell out of formation. We’ve seen how they currently use this clasp of hands as something of an emotional lifeline. “Meghan used it to gently rub Harry’s hand with her thumb in a gesture of reassurance at Windsor and it was most likely used as a mutual support system here today.” As the procession moved through the nation’s capital, Ms James said: “There were very large spatial gaps between [the Royals]so no interaction of any kind, meaning everyone seemed lonely and lost in thought. “Even the husbands, following in their cars, seemed to be silent, verbally and nonverbally. Kate sat next to Camilla in a sad pose and Sophie sat lost in thought next to Megan. “When Kate entered the palace hall, she appeared to be as silently sad as Sophie, with a few heavy swallows, pursed lips, and narrowed eyes that suggested she was close to tears. “There were no signs of socialization at all until they lined up to join pairs. “While the other members of the royal family have maintained their air of quiet formality, Harry and Meghan have closed the gap between them. “Their hand and arm gestures indicated that they were looking forward to being in literal contact again, and instead of waiting until their torsos touched before shaking hands, they reached out to return to the standard ritual of closeness and comfort.” The late sovereign arrived at Westminster Hall 38 minutes later at 3pm – where she was placed on a bier – with her crown, orb and scepter on top. The monarch will lie there for five nights until her funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday. The procession mournfully passed the statue of the Queen’s parents, King George VI and the Queen Mother, which faces The Mall. The Imperial State Crown, worn by the Queen on her way back to Buckingham Palace after her coronation, glittered in the daylight as crowds held up their phones to capture the scenes. Prince Andrew (left), Duke of York, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, leave after paying their respects at Westminster Hall, Palace of Westminster, where Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin will lie in state on a catafalque, in London on September 14 “Harry and William had walked side by side behind the coffin this time, rather than with Peter Phillips between them, as had been deemed necessary during Philip’s funeral,” Ms James noted. “They both had something of a poker face as they walked, especially William, who was in full uniform. “Harry’s body language was a little less formal and there was a moment when the coffin was lifted from the carriage and he did a little shoulder roll as if he wanted to help him carry it himself. “Inside the palace the wives walked to join their husbands, although the formation was formal with wide gaps between them. “Andrew, standing alone and not wearing a uniform, seemed to use his height to stand stiffly tall as if permanently for attention, his chin lifted and his mouth pursed and frowning indicating a desire to be seen obedient. “Anne still seemed unable to take her eyes off the coffin, as if watching and guarding her mother until the last moment,” Ms James said, noting that Charles showed a sign of “utter grief”. “Charles appeared to make a small gesture of utter distress when his mouth suddenly stretched to the side and his jaw dropped slightly,” she said. As the Royalists advanced, guns fired every minute in Hyde Park, while Parliament’s famous Big Ben bell also tolled at 60-second intervals. From left, Britain’s Camilla, Queen Consort, Kate, Princess of Wales, Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend a service to receive the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Hall . Camilla Queen Consort, Catherine Princess of Wales, Sophie Countess of Wessex and Meghan Duchess of Sussex watch as Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin is carried into Westminster Hall The crowds stood in hushed silence as they watched the procession, but then erupted into spontaneous applause as it passed. Some threw flowers. Other senior members of the royal family, including Charles’ wife Camilla, now the Queen consort, Kate, William’s wife and now the Princess of Wales, and Harry’s wife, Meghan, traveled by car. “Sophie has arrived in the car with Meghan, but Sophie still seems too unhappy for conversation or polite conversation,” Ms James said of the Countess of Wessex. “She is almost unrecognizable in her grief, and her mouth remains pursed, her head bowed, and her eyes gazed in a thoughtful motion. Meanwhile, this was “the first time we’ve seen Kate properly”, Ms James said. Kate’s facial features suggested intense grief and exchanges of tears. “Her eyes looked narrow as if she had been crying and her lips were pursed in a gesture of self-control. Some deep swallowing indicated that tears might be near. Meanwhile, Meghan was able to rock the ‘perfect expression’ for the occasion. “Meghan has adopted the rather perfect expression of someone capturing grief and empathy for the family,” according to Ms James. “She held her head high and a kind but caring smile on her face, her eyebrows slanted asymmetrically to register this empathy for the grief around her.”
