ALL eyes are on the royal family when they step out in public, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly have a “secret trick” for subtly communicating with each other.
Body language expert Judi James revealed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a “ritual” for telling each other how they are feeling without words.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex held hands in Westminster Hall yesterday for the Royal procession
Body language Judi James said the couple’s hand-holding is a way to secretly communicate how they feel
While the Sussexes are regularly seen holding hands, William and Kate refrain from it in public typically
Many royal fans will know that the royal couple are often seen holding hands in public, and Judi said this is key to their communication.
She explained to Fabulous: “Meghan and Harry’s hand-hold ritual enables them to communicate quite complex messages to one another silently and without the need for eye contact.”
Unlike the Prince and Princess of Wales who rarely hold hands in public, the Sussexes are often seen in the embrace – and Judi said they have two distinct styles.
Yesterday, the Royal Family took part in the emotional Royal procession that saw the Queen’s coffin be moved from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster.
More on the royal family
Prince Harry stood side-by-side with brother Prince William as they walked behind the coffin, which was accompanied by the King’s Guard.
Once inside Westminster Hall, Prince Harry was reunited with wife Meghan, who had travelled there in a car with Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and the Sussexes were seen clasping hands.
Judi commented: “It is clearly a vital gesture for them, as we saw the immediate re-bonding yesterday at the end of a very emotional service.
“The hand clasp sends a social message of close bonding but it also sends an intrapersonal message to the couple themselves, allowing them to feel inwardly secure in a loving team of two.”
Judi added: “Sometimes they use the clasp in the way that celebrities tend to, with Meghan walking slightly behind while Harry places his hand on top in a signal of being in control of that particular situation.
“We see this from many celebrity couples, like the Beckhams or Kardashians and it looks protective as well as allowing for the woman’s slightly slower stride when she’s wearing high heels.
“Meghan and Harry also use the meshed fingered clasp, where their fingers are evenly intertwined.
“This is the most intimate hand clasp and a much more even one.
“It signals a deep desire for closeness and it is often the first one to go when a couple have been together for a long time.”
Judi said the two clasps have “add-on silent signals to one another.”
The body language expert continued: “As they stood looking at the flowers at Windsor Harry’s fingers in the clasp were dangling down and wriggling, suggesting tension or anxiety and Meghan responded by stroking his hand with her thumb in a gesture of reassurance.”
Judi said that although we may sometimes not see “subtler add-on squeezes or tugs within clasps” she added that “many couples use a similar method of ‘speaking’ to each other silently”.
She said this can be “messaging anything from comfort and love to ‘we need to leave this party right now!’ or ‘This conversation is boring me!’”
Speaking about Prince William and Kate, Judi said their “body language has always veered on the side of bland, but it is also always pitch-perfect for their royal role.”
Meanwhile, body language expert Robin Kermode added to MailOnline: “It is very clear that William and Kate are emotionally close, however, they do not seem to feel the need to prove their love – particularly when on official state business,” he added.
“They come across as a strong, independent couple and while they are always on show, they do not feel the need to ‘show’ their love for each other to the world.”
Etiquette expert Myka Meier told People: “There is no actual etiquette or royal protocol that says the couple must refrain from PDA.
“The likely reasoning is more that while travelling on a tour such as the India trip, technically the couple are working representatives of British Monarchy.
“The couple are likely to show very little PDA, if any, to remain professional during their designated roles abroad.”
There have been some exceptions, however, such as the 2017 Christmas Day service at Sandringham.
Prince William arrived hand in hand with the Duchess of Cambridge, next to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The couple were also spotted holding hands at Princess Eugenie’s wedding in October 2018.
From one of their first public outings at the Invictus Games in Toronto in 2017, the couple were seen holding hands
The Sussexes clasped hands during their whirlwind Oprah Winfrey interview
The Sussexes are often seen in the embrace – and Judi said they have two distinct styles
Judi said their ‘hand clasp sends a social message of close bonding’
