TL;DR:
- Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle participated in a 2018 Royal Foundation Forum panel discussion with Prince William and Prince Harry.
- Meghan Markle, according to a body language expert, looked uncomfortable during a light-hearted moment.
- Meanwhile, Kate Middleton seemed to handle it in a “playful” way.
The so-called “Fab Four” is no more. Prince William and Kate Middleton don’t pal around with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. These days they’re only very rarely seen together. Back in 2018, when glimpses of the couples were more frequent, they sat down for a panel discussion. When the conversation turned light-hearted, the Duchess of Sussex and the now-Princess of Wales seemed to react differently, according to an expert’s analysis.
Kate Middleton’s body language hinted at a ‘brace myself’ mindset during Royal Foundation Forum with Harry, William, and Meghan
Harry, Meghan, William, and Kate took the stage for what would be the only Royal Foundation Forum in Feb. 2018. Examining Kate’s movements, human behavioral expert Susan Constantine highlighted a small detail in how she positioned herself onstage.
”What’s interesting is that Kate’s left leg is in a snake curl around her right,” Constantine said (via Good Housekeeping). “This motion is her way to brace herself and stay in control, which means that she might be experiencing some tension.”
Then pregnant with now-4-year-old Prince Louis, Kate sat in a chair doing a variation on her signature “Cambridge Cross” pose.
Meghan Markle’s reaction to a light-hearted moment hinted at ‘discomfort’ while Kate Middleton laughed it ‘off’
The author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Reading Body Language continued, breaking down Meghan and Kate’s reactions to a light-hearted moment.
“Meghan’s reaction shows her discomfort in the situation,” Constantine said. “She’s hiding her face and closing off her body because she hasn’t grasped the idea of people knowing intimate details about her life.”
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At the time, Meghan was still relatively new to royal life. She and Harry announced their engagement just a few earlier in November 2017. And she wouldn’t officially become part of the royal family until her and Harry’s May 2018 royal wedding.
Meanwhile, Kate, who now has more than 10 years of experience as a royal, as the expert pointed out, “is playful and laughs it right off.”
Kate and Meghan both had a ‘physiological response’ to question about ‘healthy disagreements’ at the Royal Foundation Forum
As for the memorable moment when the commentator asked if they ever had disagreements, Meghan and Kate responded in the same way. After Harry confessed some “healthy disagreements” happened, Meghan and Kate looked to their respective husbands.
“Looking at their partner is a physiological response,” Constantine explained. “We see them as two separate couples reminiscing internally about conflict, rather than a pack of four.”
Meanwhile, a royal author noted how the foursome ended up with an awkward dynamic at play during the Royal Foundation Forum.
Since then, Harry, Meghan, William, and Kate haven’t sat down again for another panel or anything similar. The closest they’ve come is sitting in the same room for Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022 followed by Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral three months later.
In the wake of Netflix’s Harry & Meghan docuseries, where the couple discussed their decision to leave royal life, among other things, any hope of repairing relationships is said to be “unlikely.”
