The Definitive Book of Body LanguageYou would think that after more than half a century of being
scrutinised in public and being confronted by large crowds
royals, such as Prince Charles, would be resistant to nervous
feelings but his small arm-crossing behaviours reveal that he
feels just as insecure as you or I would feel in the same cir-
cumstances.
An anxious or self-conscious man will also be seen adjust-
ing the band on his watch, checking the contents of his wallet
clasping or rubbing his hands together, playing with a button
on his cuff or using any gesture that lets his arms cross in front
of his body. A favourite of insecure businessmen is walking
into a business meeting holding a briefcase or folder in front
of the body. To the trained observer, these gestures are a give-
away because they achieve no real purpose except as an
attempt to disguise nervousness. A good place to observe these
gestures is anywhere that people walk past a group of onlook-
ers, such as a man who crosses the dance floor to ask a woman
to dance or someone who crosses a stage to receive an award.
Women's use of disguised arm barriers is less noticeable
than men's because women can grasp onto things like hand-
bags or purses if they become self-conscious or unsure of
themselves. Royals like Princess Anne regularly clutch a bunch
of flowers when walking in public and the Flowers/Handbag-
Clutch is Queen Elizabeth's favourite. It's unlikely that she
would be carrying lipstick, make-up, credit cards and theatre
tickets in her handbag. Instead, she uses it as a type of security
blanket when necessary and as a means of sending messages;
royal watchers have recorded 12 signals she sends to her
minders about when she wants to go, stop, leave or be rescued
from someone who is boring her.
Handbag used to
form a barrier