Prince Harry has come under fresh scrutiny after a teleprompter malfunction interrupted his recent speech in New York. The Duke of Sussex briefly walked offstage when his script disappeared during the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting before later returning to finish his remarks. Following the incident, one body language expert argued that the moment exposed the difference between delivering a scripted speech and speaking as a subject expert.
Expert brands Prince Harry’s more of an ‘actor than an expert’ over his reaction to teleprompter glitch
Speaking to the Daily Express, body language expert Judi James claimed the teleprompter mishap highlighted Prince Harry’s reliance on prepared remarks. The Duke had been addressing the dangers of artificial intelligence when the autocue suddenly failed, leaving him standing in silence before saying, “And that’s it,” and exiting the stage.
“It should be impossible for anyone else to do an ‘expert’ speech,” James said. “If someone else can just pick up your script or take over your autocue and deliver it well, your role is more that of an actor, not an expert.”
She added that Harry appeared to run out of both words and confidence once the script disappeared. “Of course, we should feel sorry for Harry, but his reaction was a dodgy performer’s ‘glitch,'” James explained. She suggested he could have acknowledged the issue, joked about it, and continued speaking instead of stopping abruptly.
The expert also analyzed Harry’s body language during the pause. She claimed he looked toward the screen, hoping the script would reappear, then showed signs of frustration and uncertainty.
According to James, Harry attempted to fill the silence with a “dramatic pause” while waiting for the teleprompter to resume. She argued his facial expressions suggested regret and irritation before he decided to leave the stage.
The Duke later returned after the technical issue was fixed and joked, “Hello again. So AI got into my speech.”
Harry then completed his address without further interruptions. He warned about the risks artificial intelligence poses to children online and urged governments and technology companies to act sooner rather than later. Speaking as a father, he stressed that protecting children should never come second to technological innovation.
