EXCLUSIVE: Prince Harry is back in England this week and visited a children’s hospital. A body language expert spoke with the Daily Express US about his visit.
Prince Harry visited the Birmingham Children’s Hospital (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Prince Harry stopped by a children’s hospital on day three of his trip back to the United Kingdom.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, is back in his home country this week as he is gearing up for his Invictus Games to be held in Birmingham, England, in 2027. Harry was last in the United Kingdom in September 2025, where he met with his father, King Charles III. Harry was expected to come with his wife, Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. It was reported that Meghan and the kids were no longer accompanying Harry in London due to security concerns, but could still be traveling to the UK.
It has not yet been confirmed whether Meghan and their kids will be joining at some point, but a recent report from The Telegraph on Thursday, July 9, claimed that Meghan and the children will come to Britain later this week but won’t make public appearances. The Duchess of Sussex, Archie, and Lilibet were last in England in 2022.
Harry’s trip so far has consisted of a surprise outing to the premiere of his friend and photographer Misan Harriman’s documentary, Shoot the People, on Tuesday, July 7, and visiting the Birmingham Children’s Hospital on Wednesday, July 7.
Prince Harry also learned he had lost his case against Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), a publishing company that publishes titles such as the Daily Mail and MailOnline, on July 7.
A body language expert noted Harry fiddling with his ring figure could mean a longing for family (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Harry and six other claimants — which included high-profile figures like Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, and Jude Law’s ex-wife Sadie Frost, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence — accused the publisher of “clear, systematic and sustained use of unlawful information-gathering” over several years, per the Guardian.
A judge had dismissed their claims, stating they had not proved that the information was taken unlawfully. Harry released a joint statement with Doreen, addressing the decision.
“It is a complete and obvious whitewash, but sadly not altogether unexpected,” they wrote in part. “When the Court says there is not sufficient evidence of wrongdoing, despite the documents showing otherwise, then one does wonder how justice was ever going to be achieved.”
Harry hugs a nurse at the children’s hospital (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Body language expert Judi James spoke with the Daily Express US about Harry’s appearance at the children’s hospital and how it shows his desire for his family, especially after the recent verdict.
“We have what look like two very clear messages about Harry’s mood and emotional state here after the court case verdict as he appears alone in the UK,” she began. “The first non-verbal cue comes from his hand gesture as he stands alone during a visit to a children’s hospital. He can be seen performing an auto-contact ritual that would suggest some trepidation as a signal of a desire to create a barrier. He is holding one finger with the fingers of the other hand, but it’s the finger he is holding that looks telling here.”
“Harry is clutching at or playing with his wedding ring here in a gesture that will often imply a desire to have backup and support from a partner and/or family,” Judi elaborated.
“In the second pose, we can see Harry throwing a hug. The nurse who has leaned in for this hug might have got more than they bargained for, though, as it appears to be a ‘mutually beneficial’ hug rather than just a bestowed one. Harry bends and leans into the hug, placing his hands flat on the nurse’s back as he grins, and there is a hint that he was in need of a comfort hug here himself,” she added.