Meghan went into ‘purr mode’ after being complimented on her skin,
Meghan Markle displayed ‘admirable levels of self-confidence about her beauty’, as a homeless shelter resident showered her with compliments, a body language expert has claimed.
The Duchess of Sussex, 44, was in ‘purr mode’ as she was told she ‘looks like a model’ during an engagement at the Melbourne-based McAuley Community Services for Women, a women’s homeless and family violence shelter.
Unlike most people, who respond to compliments with ‘denial, disbelief or embarrassment’, Meghan basked in flattery as she carried out a solo engagement on the first day of her and Prince Harry’s visit to Australia.
Meghan, who opted to wear a £920 designer dress which she protected with a striped apron, arrived at the McAuley centre and quickly got stuck in serving plates of frittata to residents.
In a clip filmed at the shelter, a woman named Leah can be heard saying, ‘Oh, you look amazing, you look like a model,’ as the Suits actress leaned in closer and replied, ‘Oh my god, that’s so generous.’
Leah added that Meghan was ‘glowing’ and was impressed by her wrinkle-free complexion, as body language expert Judi James suggested Meghan has a unique response to being flattered or praised.
‘While most people hide their faces, make self-effacing jokes or retorts, or even look suspicious as though waiting for the actual punchline, Meghan’s responses suggest admirable levels of self-confidence when it comes to the theme of her beauty,’ she said.
Ms James highlighted how the Duchess moved closer to Leah so she could ‘get a closer look at her lack of wrinkles’ while ‘performing a drawn-out response of gratitude’ during the interaction.
‘As the compliments rain down, Meghan leans back and closes her eyes with a smile, looking to be in “purr” mode, and hunches her shoulders in a small self-hug,’ Ms James noticed.
Prince Harry and Meghan landed in Melbourne on April 14 as they kicked off a four-day quasi-royal tour of the country, with an itinerary that includes charity and business events.
As some criticised the Sussexes for using Australia ‘like an ATM’ during their ‘money making’ tour, Meghan unveiled her new partnership with an AI-powered fashion discovery platform that allows fans to buy her clothes.
Meghan is now a participant and investor in OneOff so she can promote the outfits she has worn during the couple’s tour of Australia this week.
At Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital yesterday, Meghan wore a $1,250 (£922) ‘Priscilla’ dress from local designer Karen Gee, with $780 (£575) ‘Puffy Hearts’ stud earrings by Real Fine Studio and $120 (£88) ‘Iridescent’ Christian Dior leather pumps.
All three were promoted on OneOff with links – but it did not mention a Tiffany gold bracelet and the late Princess Diana’s Cartier watch, which she was also wearing.
Later at the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum, she had a $1,000 (£737) St Agni suede ‘Utility Cocoon Bomber’ jacket, an $890 (£656) suede ‘Column skirt’ by the same brand; a $220 (£162) ‘Annie’ top by PJ Femme and ‘Purist’ 105mm pointed-toe pumps by Aquazzura which are sold out in the US but cost £479 in the UK.
The website of OneOff, an American firm based in Los Angeles, also features photos of Meghan from previous events and at her home with options to buy the clothing she is wearing.
She has a personal page on the site which already works with a series of actresses such as Kate Hudson, Emma Roberts, Shay Mitchell and Suki Waterhouse.
OneOff bosses claimed in a press release that Meghan wanted to join the platform because of its global reach and to ensure the right designers get the proper credit.
The release said: ‘She cares about fashion and was motivated to invest not only to expand her portfolio, but to help uplift the fashion designers she is a fan of.’
On the same day, broadcaster Channel 10 announced Meghan will be guest-starring on the new season of MasterChef Australia as a video showed her walking onto the set.
An accompanying image released today showed the Duchess smiling alongside judges Jean-Christophe Novelli, Poh Ling Yeow and Sofia Levin, with the caption saying: ‘We’re welcoming someone SUPER special into the MasterChef Kitchen.
‘Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, makes a special guest appearance this season as she returns to Australia for the first time since 2018.’
Later this week, Meghan is set to headline a £1,400-per-head ‘girls’ weekend’ retreat in Sydney that, as of yesterday, was still advertising tickets for sale after initially claiming allocation was ‘exhausted’.
As the Sussexes continue their tour, Prince Harry today discussed his experience of therapy in Melbourne and said he knew he ‘had stuff from the past that I needed to deal with’ before having children.
Harry made the comments while giving a talk on stage at an event about fatherhood hosted by Movember this morning, meeting supporters of the men’s health charity.
In the afternoon, Harry was welcomed by Indigenous veterans upon arriving at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and the Duke attended a Last Post Ceremony.
Later on, the couple will join Invictus community members on the water in Sydney Harbour and meet past competitors. The visit will conclude at a rugby fixture between New South Wales Waratahs and Moana Pasifika at the Allianz Stadium on Friday.
The Sussexes last visited Australia in 2018, five months after their wedding, and Meghan’s pregnancy with their firstborn, Prince Archie, was announced shortly after their arrival.
