On his first holiday with his father and brother following the sudden, traumatising death of his mother Princess Diana, Prince Harry made the kind of mistake that any 13-year-old boy could make, opting for style over practicality and wearing his favourite baseball cap on the chilly slopes of an exclusive Rocky Mountains ski resort. But unlike most 13-year-olds, Harry’s mistake played out in full view of the world’s media, with cameras capturing the moment during what was already an intensely emotional period for the young royal. And now, thanks to a team of expert lip-readers who have pored over archive footage of that pivotal moment in his life, we can learn exactly what was said that day too.
Speaking on Channel 5’s Lip-Reading the Royals: What Are They Really Saying?, forensic lip-reader Nicola Hickling revealed the conversation Harry and Prince William had with their father the King — then the Prince of Wales — as a ski lift ferried them to the top of the mountain. She says that Harry appeared to tell his father “I’m so cold.” But rather than trying to comfort Harry, Charles instead turned to William and, according to Nicola, says: “He has no sense. Of course it’s bloody cold. We’re in the snow.”
Then William, seemingly speaking to Charles as if his brother wasn’t there, appears to ask: “Didn’t he bring a spare hat?”
According to Nicola, Charles’s callous response was: “He wanted to wear that cap. I told him he was mad and that it’s very cold. He doesn’t make it easy for himself” at which point William came out with his own dismissive remark: “Let him crack on. He will learn. He will probably get frostbite.”
Charles appears to conclude the conversation by coldly saying: “Perhaps.”
Commenting on the lip-reader’s analysis, actress Nina Wadia says: “Well of course style is more important than practicality – he’s a teenage boy! Of course he’s going to wear a baseball cap on a ski lift and then complain that it’s cold.”
She adds: “I love the fact that his brother and his father are ripping into him.”
Many years later, William would have the opposite problem when he found himself somewhat overdressed for the 41ºC (106F) heat outside the iconic Taj Mahal in India, offering a striking contrast to the earlier scene on the freezing slopes.
The lip-readers believe that the Prince complained to his wife, Princess Catherine, about how hot it was, telling her that he wished he hadn’t worn his rather formal blue sports jacket during the visit.
When Catherine suggested he might slip it off, William appeared to respond: “Are kidding? I don’t think anything I wear would cool me down.”
Nina comments that these revealing exchanges help to humanise the royals, making it clear that underneath all the pomp and ceremony, they are just like the rest of us.
The coverage of the royals’ holiday in British Columbia is featured on Episode 4 of Lip-Reading the Royals, which airs at 8pm on Saturday March 21.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
