PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle wowed royal fans in a series of new glossy shots for Time magazine as they were named in the list of top 100 most influential people
And eagle-eyed royal fans may have noticed something familiar about one of the snaps taken by photographer Pari Dukovic.
In a more candid shot, the parents can be seen walking through a garden holding hands at they beam at each other – and this isn’t the first time we have seen the couple rely on this pose.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are regularly seen staring into one another’s eyes whenever a camera comes out.
And according to body language expert Judi James, while a very romantic shot, the pose is far from the natural and candid shot that the pair want to convey.
Here she tells Fabulous Digital what the Sussex’s signature pose REALLY means…
“Eye-ball to eye-ball gazing can be used by a couple to transmit all sorts of messages, from ‘I love you’ to ‘Put that pint down, we’re leaving!’.
When a couple use prolonged bouts like Harry and Meghan though, it signals exclusivity; an engagement in intimate and private non-verbal conversations, and emphatically equal amounts of devotion and romantic attraction.
The eyes are the most telling part of the body and eye-gazing like this suggests a desire to tune into one another and read one another’s thoughts.
Combined with the kind of matching smiles Harry and Meghan are wearing it is also supposed to let us know they are each other’s fan.
When you do it as you are walking along like the Sussex’s though, it is actually an adopted pose rather than a natural and comfortable body language set-piece when performed as you walk along.
A swift glance might be natural but to walk and eye-gaze is tricky and unnatural, suggesting the Sussex’s adopt this look as a signal to the world rather than a spontaneous ritual.
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It suggests that this is a staged look as walking while prolonged eye-gazing would normally end in a tumble! It looks like a performed pose they like to use for the cameras.
We can see their smiles look rather rigid and over-performed here too, echoing the suggestion that it is an important message for them to send out of unity and devotion.
It is used more in the world of Hollywood red carpet posing, with celebrities like J-Lo and Ben using it to show they are an item and only have eyes for one another. When the cameras are off though most celebrities will drop the look as it is impractical.
Looking back through these photos we can see Harry took some time to adopt this intense eye-gaze trick. In the early days we can often see Meghan gazing at him while he is looking away.
This could be because it is a very common pose in both Hollywood and with presidential couples but not so common in the UK where we are rather more reserved when it comes to eye contact.
It was also a signature look for another couple of royals in exile, Edward and Wallis.
Having fled the royal family their poses often included this eye-gaze posing to signal they had done the right thing and were unarguably in love in a very equal way.”
The couple join prestigious names who have also graced the magazine’s cover – following the likes of Barack Obama, the first black US president.
Writing on their website shortly after the news broke, Meghan and Harry said they were “humbled to be part of this year’s TIME 100” and went on to praise the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Okonjo-Iweala, who was also shortlisted.
They wrote: “Each of us can change our communities, all of us can change the world.”
A short profile accompanies the image, written by José Andrés whose food relief charity works closely with the Archewell Foundation.
In other royal news, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s invite to Christmas with the Queen ‘being discussed’ after couple spurned celebrations.
And Meghan and Prince Harry will make a MOVIE as they ‘aim high’ in LA, pal Omid Scobie hints.
Plus we told you that Prince Harry will regret feuding with his family following his birthday.
