Growing up in the public eye, Prince William has learned a trick or two when it comes to maintaining his privacy as much as possible. According to the royal commentator Richard Eden, the Prince of Wales actually picked up one of his best privacy hacks from professional athletes.
In a column for the Daily Mail, Eden points to the awkward and, at moments, even seemingly-tense moment William shared with his disgraced uncle, Prince Andrew, when the pair found themselves side-by-side on the steps of Westminster Cathedral following the Duchess of Kent's funeral.
The moment, which happened in September, quickly went viral among royal fans, who pointed out just how uncomfortable William seemed to be throughout the interaction. While everyone on the internet picked up on William's discomfort instantly upon seeing the footage, Andrew didn't seem to share the same awareness about his nephew's mood and appeared to make several attempts at small talk with the heir, who, for the most part, responded with pointed, stoic silence.
While William largely ignored Andrew's attempts at making conversation, he did respond once, in a moment that put his aforementioned privacy hack into practice. In the brief moment, William can be seen deliberately shielding his mouth from cameras and onlookers as he makes a quick remark to Andrew.
William's words are a mystery, but their effect is not. Before the covered-mouth comment, Andrew appears more or less oblivious to his nephew's discomfort and determined to have a pleasant exchange, complete with a happy grin and even some light laughter and what Eden describes as a generally "jovial manner."
But after...after the covered-mouth comment, the Duke of York's manner becomes noticeably less jovial, and quickly so.
"Following William's disguised brief remarks, the Duke's face immediately fell, while William, who continued staring straight ahead, looked deeply uncomfortable," Eden writes of the disgraced royal's reaction to what the Prince of Wales may have said to him.
The details of the exchange remain a mystery, but the technique Will employed to keep the specifics of the quick conversation private is, according to Eden, "a calculated move often seen on the football pitch."
The royal commentator explains that the "hand-to-mouth gesture" is a move that "has often infuriated fans and even the Premier League," and it's one that athletes around the world rely on to ensure privacy when talking to each other and to coaches on the field.
According to brand and culture expert Nick Ede, William uses the move for the same reason as the athletes who do so during matches—because he's "very aware that every move he makes is scrutinized, analyzed and replayed."
"By covering his mouth, he’s using a very modern media-savvy technique we’ve seen time and time again with footballers, celebrities, and politicians who want to keep private conversations just that, private," Ede told the Daily Mail. "It’s a subtle signal that he understands the power of lip readers and the potential for a comment, however innocent, to be taken out of context and magnified across global media."
For a future King, this understanding is vital and William's use of his privacy hack proves that he doesn't just understand the power of both is own words and of the media to spread them quickly around the globe, but that he's developed practical strategies to navigate the world with this reality in mind.
"William is showing that he knows how to manage his image and protect his words," Ede explained.