What Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s most OTT PDAs say about their marriage
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry have been missing out on party invitations because people “frown upon their PDAs”, it was revealed earlier this week.
According to insiders the couple have attracted a few “eye rolls” with their openly affectionate behaviour – something that they have been practising throughout their relationship.
From their I Dos to public engagements Harry and Meghan are rarely seen more than a metre apart, and are often seen holding hands, something that William and Kate rarely do.
But is it all as romantic as it seems? Here body language expert Judi James analyses the couple’s most public displays of affection – and reveals what it really says about the Sussexes.
HOLLYWOOD ROMANTIC
Their wedding kiss was impeccable and romantic but there were clues that this PDA was the result of some Hollywood styling to enable them to get it so right and so cute in front of so many people.
Meghan leans her head right back in a gesture of submission and Harry kisses her lower lip rather than kissing her full on the mouth.
This trick from the silver screen means they can kiss without messing her make-up.
FAMILY BONDING GESTURE
With Harry carrying the baby Meghan applied this bonding gesture to their PDA to register love that now involved three of them.
It’s a confident, inclusive PDA that showed rewarding affection and protection, suggesting Meghan was also showing approval for Harry’s baby techniques as a new dad.
THE POSSESSIVE PDA
Harry and Meghan are often seen hand-in-hand but Meghan adds to the signals of intimacy and ownership here by pulling Harry’s hand in towards her own torso and placing her other hand on top of the clasp.
Couples in love use hand touch to communicate and by using both hands Meghan doubles the intimacy.
The eye contact is intense here, showing the couple were immersed in one another and the love between them.
They are so tactile together and so well synchronized in their touch rituals and eye contact, also taking it in turns to be more dominant or protective or flattering and flirty that the sentiments should have to extend to their sex life.
They both seem finely-tuned to the other and keen to keep in constant touch to read any changes of emotions or feelings which is often the sign of a strong marriage.
NURTURING PDAs
Meghan doesn’t just use flirty signals to communicate with Harry, she will also use quasi-maternal gestures or rituals like this one to suggest a more nurturing approach to the boy who lost his own mother at an early age.
She sits higher than him here, smiling as he sits cross-legged like a young boy and her extended arm and back-touch look fond and reassuring.
THE WHISPER
Another red-carpet-style technique from Harry and his actress wife as he breaks etiquette rules by whispering in her ear in public.
This gesture always looks flirty and intimate, as thought the couple are exchanging secret messages. It’s a classic pose for celebrity duos.
THE ENTWINED PDA
The amount of mirroring here plus the easy-going way the couple are entwined together shows strong bonding and like-minded thinking.
They show the sociable eye gaze of an established couple while maintaining several intimate touch rituals to suggest they’d hate to be parted, even for a moment.
Meghan’s legs touch Harry’s and those entwined hands have the added bond of her hand placed on top of the clasp again.
THE MIMICKED KISS
This kiss is performed in public after their wedding but even though it’s a sporting event Harry and Meghan replicate the kiss from their own wedding here.
We saw Charles and Diana’s marriage disintegrating via these polo kisses but Harry and Meghan very emphatically let us know that they’re still as in love as they were on their wedding day.
THE SNUGGLE
Meghan is a very confident and successful woman but she often uses this snuggle gesture to look smaller and more vulnerable, while flattering Harry and boosting his alpha profile.
It’s cute and it’s flattering and it usually gets a romantic smile from Harry.
THE POWER-SHARE PDA
This even-handed linking of their bodies allows them to move about on royal visits, while also creating a tie-sign to allow them to communicate with one another.
The key signal is from its even-handedness though. Both can use those hands one another’s backs for steering and to suggest support, hinting that neither one of them sees themselves as more dominant or more in control.
THE ‘I GOTCHA’
Harry grabs Meghan’s arm while on what looks like a noisy royal visit to show that he’s there and a safe pair of hands if she should happen to get stuck in the crowds.
He looks very much the protective, lovingly dominant male and her smile in return suggest she appreciates that side of him even if she might not need it.
MOST READ IN FABULOUS
It’s a fun gesture that reminds her he’s not only around but also available for a spot of bodyguard duty should she happen to need it.
In other royal news, we told you how Meghan "won't be grouse hunting at Balmoral as it's been cancelled for the year due to fall in numbers."
While the Fab Four split began when Prince Harry ‘read William and Kate the riot act’ for ‘not supporting’ Meghan Markle before their Royal wedding, sources claim.
And Meghan Markle is a victim of cruel ‘mum shaming’ and the Palace need to do more to build up her ‘motherly image’, according to a PR guru.