An outwardly confident Prince Harry is revelling at being back in the spotlight Down Under, while Meghan Markle is showing her ‘humility’ via tried-and-tested ‘royal tour’ gestures, a body language expert has claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex landed in Melbourne early on Tuesday for their four-day quasi-royal tour aboard a business class Qantas flight from Los Angeles, leaving their children Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, back home in California.
Body language expert Judi James told the Daily Mail that on day one of the trip, Harry, 41, appeared to be enjoying basking in the glow of a warm welcome as he strode ahead during the couple’s arrival at the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum.
A more cautious Meghan, tightly gripping the Prince’s arm, was apparently keen on playing a more supportive role.
When asked if they had a message for the Australian public during their first visit to the country since 2018, Harry said it was ‘great’ to be there, adding: ‘Thanks for having us back.’
James decoded the King’s son’s confident approach to the public outing, saying: ‘This is very much Harry taking charge and acting like the main star of the show as he guides and then ushers a clinging Meghan along with a steering pat on the back.
‘His splayed chest and the way he strides ahead dominating the attention look like excited arrival signals.’
The couple’s first outing of the day saw them visit the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. A group of about 70 staff, parents and young patients waited in the hospital atrium for the couple, who excitedly met the crowd and then visited the Adolescent Oncology and Rehabilitation ward before taking part in a garden therapy session.
Meghan, 44, appeared to be relying on the mannerisms and gestures learned while a working royal – despite quitting The Firm six years ago.
James explains: ‘There are clearly regal elements in their overall body language state here, with some classic royal tour traditions like the hailing waves; the extended, bending handshakes for patients in hospital beds; the floor-crouches to chat to small children, and the mirrored, elegant and rather upright arrivals.’
She adds: ‘So far so “royal-ish” then, but Harry and Meghan have also added some very contrasting, emphatic non-verbal tells of humility to the narrative here to zhuzh it up like Meghan adding flower sprinkles to one of her dishes.’
The four-day trip will also see Harry and Meghan attend an Invictus Australia event in Sydney before Meghan stars at the ‘Her Best Life’ retreat at nearby Coogee Beach.
The couple insist their 2026 trip is ‘privately funded’ but there is some disquiet because Australian taxpayers are due to foot the bill for some police security. Tens of thousands of people have signed a petition demanding the Sussexes cover all the costs themselves.
Prince Harry seemed happy to bluster through any criticism, with displays of humility the order of the day, according to the body language expert.
‘That signaled or actively performed humility appears as soon as they arrive for their hospital visit. Walking into an atrium full of fans, Harry very emphatically and tellingly places a splayed hand across his chest in a theatrical gesture of surprise, humility and gratitude.
‘This heart-covering ritual tends to be an actor or singer’s response to applause or signals of audience approval at the end of a performance. It is seen most nights at the West End or Covent Garden as the star takes their bow on stage.
‘Harry’s use of the gesture appears to project a sense of surprise and gratitude before the couple move keenly off for their walkabout with the crowd.’
The couple are, suggests James, also keen to show their love is burning as bright as ever, with their usual tactility very much on display.
‘Harry and Meghan’s rituals together seem to be as flexible as ever but their arrival at the hospital and the waves of delight show Meghan defining Harry via some face-watching glances of pride and adoration as the main star of the moment.
‘As he hails the fans on the upper levels Meghan’s torso is turned in towards him and her lovingly clingy two-handed clasp of his hand as she follows his eye-gaze lets us know the doting couple are still very much a thing.’
The Duchess of Sussex employed tried and tested ‘attachment rituals’, says James, to showcase their strong bond in a public setting.
She explains: ‘Meghan’s attachment rituals here mimic the ones used during their engagement photocall, with her double clutching either his hand or his bicep to register strong bonds.
‘She adds the familiar back touches as he chats with the crowd, and there is a little dance at one point to enable them to retain their loving hand clasp while swapping sides.
‘The tactile narrative is clearly being illustrated as being scoped out to the fans too though. In one pose Meghan throws her arms outstretched to signal a desire to embrace one of the fans and they both look keen to use hugging as their major love language for the public here.’
And when the 44-year-old former royal is away from Harry, Meghan relies on what she learned while in The Firm.
‘Meghan continues that theme of ‘royal’ mixed with ‘humility’ as she makes a solo visit to a kitchen. Her hands-on behaviour prompts some of the familiar signals of playful, informal state she delivers for her Netflix series.
‘Her shoulder hunching and her self-diminishing elbow placement, along with her raised brows and puckered smiles all suggest a sense of status lowering as her open-mouthed smiles have the self-effacing and again more playful addition of a visible tongue-poke.
‘When Harry and Meghan do their walkabout with the crowds at the hospital those signals of humility are also visible, with Harry going into comedic mode, pulling faces, while Meghan greets individuals with the kind of hunched shoulders and grateful, excited smile with one hand caught in mid-air that someone might use when greeting an old friend.’
One critic this week accused the couple of treating Australia ‘like an ATM’ because the country had been ‘good to them’ when they were working royals.
Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson said today: ‘Victoria Police are there to provide security and safety for Victorians. So any suggestion that officers are going to be pulled off duty to provide security and protection for Harry and Meghan’s visit is absolutely unacceptable.’
Libertarian MP David Limbrick added: ‘If people want to spend thousands of dollars on former royals, that’s fine. But Victorian taxpayers should not be on the hook to provide the security of millionaires.’
Tickets for the Duchess of Sussex’s weekend retreat cost up to $3,199 AUD (£1,400) and including a chance to have a photo with the Duchess and ask her questions at a gala dinner in a 5-star hotel. Meghan’s fee has been described as a ‘fat one’, and is apparently in the region of $250,000.
Meanwhile, Harry is the star speaker at the InterEdge Summit in Melbourne on Thursday, where tickets range from £525 to £1,250 with a ‘virtual ticket’ for Harry’s speech costing costing £260 alone.
