‘Dominant’ Prince Harry looked ‘a lot more polished and American’ while ‘demure’ Meghan Markle ‘took on a softer role’ in their first joint appearance since quitting the royal family, a body language expert has claimed.
The Duke, 36, and Duchess of Sussex, 39, who last week officially split from the Firm, appeared in a 20-second video plugging their Archewell Audio podcast at a Spotify live stream event yesterday.
Body language expert Judi James told FEMAIL the couple, who filmed the clip at their $14 million mansion in Santa Barbara, had gained a ‘US-style polish’ in their ‘posing and body language’.
She explained Meghan, who was wearing a £2,600 Oscar de la Renta dress, adopted a ‘demurely regal pose’ while Harry’s body language looks a lot more ‘American’, with his ‘wide hand gestures and his energetic delivery.’
‘Dominant’ Prince Harry, 36, looked ‘a lot more US’ while ‘demure’ Meghan Markle , 39,’took on a softer role’ in their first joint appearance since quitting the royal family, Judi James told FEMAIL
Judi told FEMAIL there was ‘a new emphasis on making Harry look like the more dominant alpha male while Meghan sits demurely beside his, gazing in admiration.’
She explained: ‘There is almost a switching of delivery styles from these two, with Meghan adopting a much more UK royal style of pose with her hands folded over one another on her lap as she sits close to her husband.’
Judi revealed that on previous appearances over the last year, the Duchess has taken on a more dominant role but she took on a significantly softer role in the clip.
She said: ‘In earlier appearances it was often Harry squeezed down one end of the sofa while Meghan addressed the camera and led the conversations.
‘Here she seems to take a much softer role to create the impression that it is Harry who is the star turn.’
Meanwhile Judi compared Prince Harry to President Donald Trump in his body movements, which she called ‘confident and enthusiastic’.
Judi said the Duchess had taken a ‘much softer, more regal role’ in the new clip, while the Duke’s hand gestures and splayed-legs showed ‘confidence and enthusiasm’
She explained: ‘While Meghan adopts the demurely regal pose Harry’s body language looks a lot more US, with his wide hand gestures and his energetic delivery.
Meghan wears £2,600 Oscar de la Renta dress
Meghan wore a £2,600 soft blue Oscar de la Renta gown embroidered with lemons for her first appearance since quitting the royal family yesterday.
The cocktail dress featured a a dramatic flounced hem and citrus fruit detailing across the bodice and skirt.
It’s described online as featuring ‘a signature lemon motif’ which ‘adds a Botticelli-inspired quality to this glamorous 60s-inspired shift.’
The Duchess opted to wear her hair into bouncy glamorous Hollywood curls for the appearance and swapped her usual low key make-up for a stunning glamorous look, with bold dark eyeshadow, and highlighter.
Meghan is known for her love of designer brands, and her first maternity wardrobe is believed to have cost over half a million pounds. It was further boosted by decadent jewellery, which adds financial value to several of her outfits.
The expectant mother looked glamorous in a 60s-inspired cocktail dress, with a dramatic flounced hem and citrus fruit detailing across the bodice and skirt
‘With his legs splayed wide in the kind of gesture of alpha power that Donald Trump always used, Harry’s delivery has US-style energy and commitment.
‘His signature hand-rubbing and accelerated blink anxiety ritual is over quickly and then we have a confident explanatory gesture with both hands splayed out, palms up before a tilted chopping gestures adds rhythm and emphasis to his points.’
Judi revealed the clip appeared to show Prince Harry was the force behind the project, explaining: ‘As a signal to their fans and public, this body language seems to show Harry in the driving seat for the podcast, with Meghan using something more like the kind of fond eye-gazing that we used to see from supportive presidential wives.’
In the brief appearance, Meghan, 39, gushes that they are ‘using podcasting to drive powerful conversations’, before Harry, 36, chimes in ‘that inspire, challenge and educate’.
‘We created Archwell audio to make sure we can elevate voices that maybe aren’t being heard and hear people’s stories,’ Meghan, who was wearing a £2,645 Oscar de la Renta dress, continues.
Harry finishes: ‘And the biggest part of this is trying to create this community of where you can share, that will encourage everybody else to then share their own vulnerabilities in that safe space.’ It is unclear when the video was filmed.
The Duke and Duchess last year announced they had secured a deal with the music streaming giant, thought to be worth up to £30million.
It was commercial deals such as this that put the couple at odds with the impartiality required of those in public service and seemingly led to the permanent split with the Firm.
Prince Harry and Meghan are said to be in shock because the Queen stripped them of their royal and sporting patronages after they ‘poured their hearts out’ to Ms Winfrey during a two-day shoot in their £11million LA mansion last week.
The tell-all interview is due to air on Sunday March 7 with no topics off-limits with one source warning Harry’s family the show would be a good ‘time to hide behind the sofa at the palace’.
On Friday it was announced the Duke and Duchess had been stripped of their remaining roles after their 12-month trial separation from royal life and move to the US.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who now live in California after quitting as senior members of the Royal Family last year, announced they are expecting their second child on Valentine’s Day
The couple then issued a sharp rebuke, declaring they would offer ‘continued support to the organisations they have represented regardless of official role’.
They signed off: ‘We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.’
Sources close to the monarch told The Sunday Times that the riposte was ‘petulant and insulting to the Queen’.
A source told the Mail: ‘Their statement in response to the Queen’s heartfelt sentiment that the couple are still muchloved members of her family was considered highly disrespectful.’
Buckingham Palace announced in a dramatic statement that Harry and Meghan had been stripped of their remaining roles following their move to California. Minutes later, the apparently furious Sussexes issued a stinging rebuke to the Queen, insisting they would still ‘live a life of service’ despite her decision
