Prince William appeared ‘regal’ in his appearance at an awards ceremony in honour of his mother Princess Diana on Thursday night, while Harry’s more resembled a ‘rock star’, a body language expert has claimed. 

The Prince of Wales attended the Diana Legacy Awards at the Science Museum in London yesterday while Prince Harry made an appearance virtually from his Californian home after his older brother had left. 

William took the stage to AC/DC’s song Thundertrack, which he referred to as ‘George’s song’, before telling the audience himself and the Princess of Wales channel Diana’s legacy through their work. 

Body language expert Judi James told FEMAIL that their very different appearances signified that the distance between the once-close brothers has only ‘expanded’ – as Harry seemed ‘casual’ and ‘relaxed’, while William seemed to show a display of ‘inner tension’. 

She said: ‘This was a night of “Regal” William versus “Rock Star” Harry, with both princes playing to their charisma strengths at this event to honour their mother.

‘Their alienation has clearly given them carte blanche to expand their differences. 

‘Two boys who were often dressed alike as children and who appeared as an Ant & Dec style matching duo through much of their adult life, now have no need to co-ordinate with either their styling of their body language behaviour.’

She added that William looked almost like ‘James Bond’ with his ‘formal’ and ‘elegant’ attire as he stood behind a lectern to address the live audience from the stage. 

Harry’s clothing made a marked contrast to the Prince of Wales, wearing ‘an open-neck denim shirt and seeming to be sitting in some kind of cowboy service station complete with a line of Stetsons hanging from the ceiling behind him’. 

The Duke’s appearance, though only via video link from Montecito, was met with rapture, as winners told him he was ‘missed’ back in the UK. 

Judi determined that Harry looked ‘casual and relaxed’, while William appeared ‘less assured than usual’ as he paid tribute to his mother. 

She said: ‘Harry appeared on screen more as a talking head and to a boardroom-sized audience but the fan-club-style shrieks and applause that greeted him prompted a return of his signature cheeky show-boating. 

‘His cheeks raised and became rounded in utter delight and he even raised both hands in a beckoning gesture to encourage more adulation with a ‘Go for it!’

‘His praying hand gesture as he apologised for not being there in person became gestures of motivation as he addressed his audience by first questioning them and then giving them praise. 

‘His more serious points came with some sucked-in lips or subtle body-rocking to show energy and emphasis. Overall he looked casual and relaxed with a very connective style of delivery.’

But the Prince of Wales appeared ‘modest’ and his stance appeared ‘inner tension’ – which is perhaps unsurprising following the intense speculation and conspiracies regarding his wife Kate’s ongoing absence, and his father King Charles’s illness. 

Judi continued: ‘William’s approach was modest though and his delivery rather less assured than usual, hinting at some overwhelming emotions as he clutched the lectern with both hands, even seeming to lean on it at times as his torso angled forward.

‘His feet were often splayed but not in the horizontal power splay. He held one foot forward which again, suggested inner tension. 

‘His greeting of his audience looked shy. Instead of connecting with his eyes as he spoke he looked down and read his greeting from his notes. 

‘Although his arrival and chats showed a sense of playful animation and laughter that hinted at bravado, some of the sentiment of his missing wife, unwell father and of course speaking of his beloved mother seemed to affect his delivery here.’

The event came just hours after his wife Meghan Markle launched her latest business venture – luxury lifestyle brand American Riveria Orchard.  

Fans who sign up for information on the Duchesses’ new business venture will be notified about ‘products’  – which some commentators have suggested is a clear breach of the agreement by the Sussexes’ to not profit off their royal titles. 

In a double-whammy of announcements, the Sussexes went on to reveal the winners of their $100,000 NAACP Archewell Foundation Digital Civil Rights Award while William was still speaking and handing out awards to the winners. 

The Sussexes’ timing to coincide with the Diana’s awards has been questioned by royal experts, with one telling MailOnline ‘the Sussexes in my opinion do nothing by accident’. 

As William left the event, Harry began his talk via video-link from Montecito, where he told the young winners: ‘I’m sorry I am not there. I wish I could be there with you guys.’

He went on to thank the group for ‘for inspiring so many others’ and ‘protecting my mother’s legacy’ before joking with the winners about not getting into ‘too much trouble’ if they planned to head out in the capital to celebrate. 

Throughout his speech, Prince William also paid a moving tribute to his mother as he handed out awards in his memory.

He told the crowd that Princess Diana had taught him that ‘everyone in need deserves a supporting hand in life’ and that her legacy was an inspiration to both him and his wife Kate, who is currently recovering from abdominal surgery. 

‘She taught me that everyone has the potential to give something back; that everyone in need deserves a supporting hand in life,’ the Prince said.

‘That legacy is something that both Catherine and I have sought to focus on through our work, as have the 50,000 young people who have received a Diana Award over the past 25 years.

‘I am so proud to see this belief of my mother’s manifested in the amazing young people receiving the Legacy Award tonight.’

The brother’s tributes to their mother comes as royal experts claimed that Princess Diana would have insisted the men put aside their feud to present the award in her name. 

The legacy award was introduced by The Diana Award in 2017 to celebrate the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, on the 20th anniversary of her death.

Addressing walking onto Thunderstruck, Prince William told the audience: ‘I like AC/DC, that’s George’s song’.

After presenting the awards, William met the winners and told them: ‘The breadth of what you all cover, I’m amazed.’

He added: ‘I’m so blown away by everything you’re doing, because you’re doing it alongside your studies, your lives, your families, everything else.

‘There are a lot of barriers I’m sure a lot of you are facing every time you’re doing this.’

The timing of the Duchesses’ new business project and the announcement of the couple’s foundation award has been questioned by experts on the royal family. 

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliam told MailOnline: ‘The Sussexes in my opinion do nothing by accident and timing is often absolutely pivotal.

‘We found that out one way over the weekend and we’ve now just been reminded that there may be more shots in their locker than some of us thought. And it’s no accident.

‘For years they’ve been unpredictable but they have been predictable in one sense, and that is the unerring timing when they believe it’s beneficial to get information out. They don’t do anything by accident.’

The Duchesses’ latest project is said to feature ‘all things that are close to her heart’.

She will be making and selling her own products with a book and blog said to accompany her cookery display.

It has led to some questions about whether the California-based royals will be breaching their agreement not to profit off the Sussex title. 

Opening the event, Prince William gave a speech in person to mark the charity’s 25th anniversary and present awards to 20 recipients. 

He told the room: ‘This evening’s Legacy Award is particularly special as it marks the 25th anniversary year of The Diana Award, a charity set up to reflect my mother’s belief that young people can change the world,’ he said.

‘I know that she would have been honoured to see a charity in her name doing such inspirational work to uplift young people from all corners of the globe.’

He added: ‘I am so proud to see this belief of my mother’s manifested in the amazing young people receiving the Legacy Award tonight.’

During the ceremony hosted by Cel Spellman, an actor and presenter, and Diana Chao, a former award winner, William presented awards to each of the 20 award recipients who had flown in from around the world.

Each winner had been asked beforehand to choose their own song for the moment at which they walked onto the stage.

Tom Walker performed halfway through the awards ceremony, saying: ‘It’s rare to be in a room full of so many inspiring people. We don’t feel worthy.’

Walker said the song he performed, Lifeline, was written after a friend died, adding: ‘A friend of mine took a wrong turn and we lost them.

‘I think it’s important to speak about the stigma of mental health and I try and do a little bit in my song.’ 

Later on, Prince Harry spoke to the winners who sat in a small conference room and chatted to him over Zoom.

One award winger, Sophie Pender, founder of the 93% Club – a student society dedicated to making universities more inclusive for state-educated students – told the Duke that ‘we really miss you here [in London]’.

Throughout the call, the Prince applauded the group for the ‘amazing work you guys are doing’ telling them the volunteers and charity workers they had a bright future ahead.

The Prince said:  ‘So much of the future depends on you guys. Some of the work you do may feel as though you are small, some of it is big but the impact again that you are having on hundreds of thousands, millions of people.

‘Without you guys doing that and without you inspiring other people because it feels good and because you get so much from it, that inspiration is like a ripple effect and it goes all across the water.

‘You don’t need me to tell you that but I want to tell you that. Every single day you are working on these things and you do not know the impact you are making. 

‘You don’t know that when you meet people and have these interactions you may have changed their outlook changed their perspective given them a bit more hope and inspired them to do something similar.

‘I am seriously impressed by the work that you do, particularly at the young age you are at, and the future is yours and your going to help with that future.’

Award winner Oluwadamilola Akintewe, 24, was described as ‘exemplifying the spirit of the late Princess Diana’ through her work on gender-based violence in Nigeria.

After the event she said: ‘The Prince asked me if I received enough support in my country and I said compared to the past it’s getting better.’

Speaking after William left, another award winner Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang, 18, who won an award for her charity Cases 4 Care’s work with undocumented children, said that meeting him was ‘like a dream come true’.

‘He was really nice and welcoming,’ she said, adding that winning the award was ‘a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’ but it also felt like ‘the beginning of something new’.

Joel Nkeonye Mordi, 26, who won an award for founding a LGBT+ youth charity in Nigeria, said that it was ‘such a huge honour’ and that it marked ‘a call to action.’

Harry’s appearance at the awards was planned to take place after the brother’s left the ceremony amid their ongoing post-Megxit feud.

For most of their lives, the royal brothers have been close, united by the shared trauma of losing their mother who died aged 36 in a 1997 Paris car crash when William was 15 and Harry was 12.

But since Harry’s 2018 wedding to his wife Meghan Markle, relations between them have soured.

An explosive interview that the couple gave chat show host Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 marked a new low, while anecdotes about their relationship in Harry’s bombshell memoir, Spare, which was released last year, also saw them grow further apart.

The feud between the estranged brothers has cast a shadow over the whole family, which saw Harry and Meghan leave the UK.

There was hope for a reunion when Harry flew back to Britain after the news of King Charles’ cancer diagnosis was announced.

But the King only saw Harry for half an hour – and William made no plans to see his brother.

As well as receiving The Legacy Award, recipients received bespoke personal and professional development support to enhance their social action work with the long-term aim of inspiring and mobilising other young people to engage in social action.

Dr Tessy Ojo CBE, Chief Executive, The Diana Award said: ‘As we mark the start of our 25th Anniversary year these young people couldn’t be a more fitting tribute and legacy to Diana, the late Princess of Wales and her belief that young people have the power to change the world. 

‘Through their courage, selflessness and sheer determination they are making change happen, often, in the face of huge adversity. Their compassion, determination and agency to make positive change today and in the years ahead is immense.’

The 20 Legacy Award recipients have been chosen by a prestigious independent judging panel, chaired by Baroness Doreen Lawrence.

‘These young people represent the next generation of change-makers and innovators across the globe and it is their stories from which we should listen and learn. 

‘This is why Gilead Sciences is supporting The Diana Award, which recognises young people who are already making strides for social and humanitarian change. We are immensely proud to continue our support for this programme that mentors these young winners and encourages them to make a lasting impact on the world.’ 

Ingrid Seward, the royal biographer and editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine says that the pair’s mother – who the evening is in tribute to – would have forced the warring brothers to reunite to celebrate the prize’s winners. 

‘And if she failed, I think she would have insisted that they came together however briefly by speaking over the video link in order to celebrate the winners of the prize organised in her name,’ she told the Mirror. 

It comes as Meghan Markle launched launched a luxury lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard with a glitzy Instagram video yesterday.

The Diana Award is an accolade given to a young person aged 9-25 for their social action work.

The charity was set up to reflect the Princess of Wales’ belief that young people have the power to change the world.

The brothers’ reluctance to acknowledge each other’s presence at the event lays bare the depth of their feud as before their falling out they often appeared together in person to pose with the award winners. 

While a spokesman for the award told The Telegraph that Harry will be a ‘key part’ of the celebration.

A Kensington Palace spokesman said: ‘The Prince [of Wales] will meet key staff and supporters of the Diana Award, before joining the ceremony where he will hear about the recipients’ work, make a short speech and present Legacy Awards to this year’s winners.’ 

Legacy Award recipient Alizey Khan, 26, established the RUHIL Foundation, with the goal of ensuring nobody would go hungry in her city. 

To combat food poverty, they delivered 5,500 monthly food parcels and 10,000 meals. 

Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang, aged just 18,  founded Cases 4 Care Indonesia when she was 11.

Christina Williams, from Jamaica, she fundraised millions of Jamaican dollars in supplies to support homeless students and those unable to leave their campuses due to closed borders.

Recipient Dejea Lyons, 21, has presented at COP26, became a young editor of magazine OH-WAKE, and attended COP28 representing the Caribbean and the Cayman Islands raising awareness about climate injustice in her region.