A body language expert looked at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s recent date night, noting there was some tension behind their smiles. According to the expert, the couple was performing for the paparazzi, but their “overkill smiles” were a telltale sign they had a “desire to hide.”
Expert analyzes Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s body language during their date night
On Feb. 28, Harry and Meghan were spotted outside the private members-only club San Vicente Bungalows in Los Angeles shortly after news broke that King Charles evicted them from Frogmore Cottage.
Body language expert Judi James provided her analysis of the couple’s date night, telling The Mirror that Harry and Meghan’s appearance was “very much like a performance.”
“It can be a tough enough call when your parents re-decorate your bedroom after you first leave home, so an eviction notice has got to sting no matter how rich, famous and grown-up you are,” she said.
James continued, “Harry and Meghan’s response here seems to be a deliberate projection of non-verbal ‘shrugging,’ i.e., smiling widely and laughing in the face of the recent Frogmore news.”
The body language expert noted, “But this looks very much like a performance. These smiles appear to be overkill rituals rather than grins that are prompted by authentic happiness. Meghan’s underlying signals suggest she has gone into ‘vulnerable’ mode, while Harry’s are all about underlying tension.”
Prince Harry showed signals he wanted to ‘hide,’ expert says
James further noted how Prince Harry showed signals that he wanted to hide. “Harry’s expression seems to change from one of wariness to one of beaming delight as he steps out of the car and faces the cameras,” she explained.
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“His behavior suggests some anxiety and a desire to protect as he hops about, rounding his group up like a sheepdog and ushering them into the venue,” James continued.
The expert pointed out, “He has three signals that suggest a desire to hide: his jacket collar is turned up; he hikes his pants and fiddles with his clothing and, eventually, he shoves his left hand so hard into his jeans pockets that the knuckles turn white.”
She added, “His smile as he does so looks rigid and over-congruent as though he has made a deliberate decision to smile widely in the face of the recent news.”
Meghan Markle appeared ‘vulnerable,’ expert says
James looked closely at Meghan’s gestures and expressions, saying she conveyed a “vulnerable” vibe in the moment.
“Meghan’s more vulnerable look comes from the way she giggles into her hand in the car in a childlike gesture; the way she stoops as he walks into the venue and lowers her head, bringing her bag up in a barrier ritual; the hair that is styled to hang down on one side to curtain and part-hide her face, and the tight-looking hand clasp with her husband,” James said.
The body language expert continued, “Meghan’s smile is also wide but it looks incongruent, as though it might be taking some effort. It is not directional: she seems to be smiling at the pavement here, and it doesn’t have the kind of crinkling and narrowing effect on her eyes, which it would if it were more authentic.”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
