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4 months ago
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Prince William gave a 'gesture of sympathy and support' when he shook hands with England's Harry Kane after the Three Lions' crushing 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euros final last night.
The Prince of Wales, 42, flew to Berlin with son George, 10, to cheer on Gareth Southgate's squad at the Olympiastadion only to see their hopes of ending the men's 58 year wait for a trophy end in heartbreak.
Cole Palmer stepped off the bench to drag England back into the game with a 73rd minute equaliser after Nico Williams struck early in the second half.
But the Chelsea star's stunning effort was in vain as Spain's own super sub Mikel Oyarzabal scored a late winner to secure a 2-1 victory.
After England's defeat, William shook hands with every member of the Three Lions squad.
William's response to England captain Harry Kane looking 'gutted' was a 'display of commiseration' as he gave a 'double-handed clutch of Harry's hand'
The royal's 'brows pucker in concern as he gazes at Harry's face' as he greets the England squad after their final defeat
He lent in to offer words of comfort to the tearful looking Bukaya Saka and Jude Bellingham while giving encouraging pats on the shoulders to other players.
Harry Kane was the first to be greeted by the royal with body language expert Judi James saying there 'clearly [was] only one word' to describe the England captain's dejected look: gutted.
'It's a non-verbal ritual that England fans are sadly only too familiar with and it involves a lowering of the head and a hunching of the shoulders plus an avoidance of all eye contact, even when you're being engaged in conversation by a royal,' Ms James said.
William's response was a 'display of commiseration' as he gave a 'double-handed clutch of Harry's hand'.
Ms James added: 'His brows pucker in concern as he gazes at Harry's face and he performs a double-handed clutch of Harry's hand to convert a simple, unemotional handshake into a gesture of sympathy and support.
'William's lips are pursed here to show he shares Harry's pain and the hint is that it might have only taken one sad glance from Harry and William would have happily wrapped him in a consoling hug.'
Body language expert Judi James said Kane's body language is 'a non-verbal ritual that England fans are sadly only too familiar with and it involves a lowering of the head and a hunching of the shoulders'
William's 'lips are pursed here to show he shares Harry's pain and the hint is that it might have only taken one sad glance from Harry and William would have happily wrapped him in a consoling hug'
A heartbroken Kane was seen walking past the trophy having almost bringing his side to clinching their first major tournament since the World Cup in 1966
Earlier today William and Catherine posted an endearing photo of Charlotte and Louis watching the Euros final last night as they paid tribute to the Three Lions following England's heartbreaking loss.
In the heartwarming post, the siblings sit side-by-side in front of the television wearing their England shirts with their names and age numbers on the back.
The photo, taken by the Princess, was posted from the official Kensington Palace account and signed off from William and Princess Kate.
Alongside the image they paid tribute to Southgate's men being an 'inspiration to young and old'.
They wrote: 'England, your teamwork, grit and determination were an inspiration to all of us, young and old. Congratulations to Spain. W & C.'
It follows William's heartfelt message last night following the crushing 2-1 loss to Spain in which he wrote just seconds after the final whistle: 'This time it just wasn't meant to be. We're all still so proud of you. Onwards @England. W.'
The defeat left William and George visibly stunned - as King Charles urged the squad to 'hold your heads high' and hailed them the 'pride of a nation'.
England's dejected squad landed in the rain at Stansted today on a private jet after they left their five-star hotel in Berlin.
The Prince and Princess of Wales paid tribute to the Three Lions in a heartwarming post which showed Charlotte and Louis sitting side-by-side in front of the television wearing their England shirts
In a message alongside the photo, William and Catherine pay tribute to Gareth Southgate's men being an 'inspiration to young and old'
They both pumped their fists in joy following Cole Palmer's exquisite equaliser in the 73rd minute
But elation soon turned to despair when Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal slotted the winning goal past Jordan Pickford in the 86th-minute to break English hearts
King Charles last night urged the team to 'hold their heads up high' in a message to Southgate
One fan could be seen waving a St George's flag beside the airport's boundary security fence as the plane's wheels were about to hit the tarmac just before 2pm.
Gareth Southgate was dressed down in a t-shirt and tracksuit rather than his iconic £45 M&S cream polo shirt as he was the first to leave the plane with his assistant manager Steve Holland.
They both looked dejected as they plodded down the steps as the rain poured down.
The crestfallen squad shortly followed wearing their England training kit and rucksacks over their shoulders as they walked into the terminal's private building having been greeted by a lone member of airport staff.
The players quickly exited the building where they were met by their personal chauffeur and driven away.
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