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Body Language Expert Known as the ‘Human Lie Detector’ Weighs in on Prince Harry

"There has been massive growth in confidence"

prince harry
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Though the royals usually take a bit of a break over the summer, it's actually been a surprisingly busy season for them. We're talking Kate Middleton's surprise appearance at Wimbledon, Prince George's church outing this past weekend and, of course, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's epic tour of Colombia (complete with PDA-packed pics).

And Prince Harry, in particular, has one last end-of-summer milestone to look forward to: his fortieth birthday.

In advance of the big day on September 15, body language expert Darren Stanton (aka TV's human lie detector) weighed in on Harry, his growth and his journey thus far.

prince harry and meghan markle dancing
Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty Images

Stanton shared his thoughts with PureWow on behalf of Betfair Bingo. He began, "Harry is currently his most confident self after finding his purpose and stepping away from his royal duties. He is now in a position where he doesn’t feel as much pressure. Harry exudes a sense of security and freedom. He calmly carries himself, he’s collected and at peace."

Stanton continued, "Before stepping away, Harry didn’t have the same levels of confidence that he portrays now. He previously would demonstrate feelings of nervousness and frustration. We would see his cheeks flush red when he felt embarrassed or on edge, as well as adopting regular fake smiles to cover up his true emotions. He would struggle to maintain consistent eye contact—a key sign of lack of confidence. Nowadays, we rarely see Harry adopting any of these gestures, which tells us there has been massive growth in confidence in recent years."

prince harry meghan markle waving
Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty Images

As for why the duke suddenly has more confidence? Stanton said, "Moving away from the U.K. has been the making of Harry. It’s been a catalyst for some huge changes in him as a person, as well as a royal. We’ve seen a lot of growth since then. He’s able to assert more dominance and apply his inner strength in public situations. He’s now found his purpose with the Invictus Games."

By the Invictus Games, Stanton is referring to the international sporting event for wounded and injured veterans that Harry co-founded. The Duke of Sussex recently traveled to England in May to honor the tenth anniversary of the Games.

prince harry invictus games
Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images

Beyond simply being free from some of the royal family's stricter rules, it seems Harry also appears to be enjoying himself. Stanton said, "Another sign of Harry’s growth in confidence has been demonstrated through his public speaking. When we see him making speeches in recent years, he barely looks down at his sheet of paper and it all comes to him very naturally. Harry makes it look easy, and this is shown through genuine enjoyment."

We're just happy to see the duke looking so happy.

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