The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were 'clinging together as survivors' on their first official engagement since returning to the UK after Megxit, a body language expert has claimed.
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expert → cling → Megxit
The couple carried out a series of royal-style engagements in Nottingham after meeting members of the public in scenes that looked identical to their walkabout in the city almost a decade ago.
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that → carry → city
While Meghan, 45, accepted bouquets from well-wishers and told them 'it's great to be back', Prince Harry, 42, repeatedly placed a protective arm around her as they posed for selfies.
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they → accept → selfies
Despite appearing delighted to be back in Britain after six years in California, body language expert Judi James claimed the prince's clutch of his wife's shoulder also signalled 'inner tension and caution'.
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clutch → appear → tension
'At one point he placed an arm around her shoulders in a "protective wing" gesture,' Ms James told the Daily Mail.
'
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James → place → Mail
The non-verbal "tell" here of inner tension and caution came from his fingers, which dug tightly into Meghan's shoulder at neck level, suggesting he felt keen to clutch her and keep her even closer.
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he → come → her
'
When Meghan reciprocated by placing her arm around his waist, the 'double-cling' made it seem like they were 'clinging together as survivors,' she added.
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she → reciprocate → survivors
She highlighted that Harry and Meghan used body language to project a message of 'joyful return' – but there was also an underlying 'tension from Harry' and 'a desire to protect his wife'.
Prince Harry and Meghan were 'clinging together as survivors' on their first official engagement since returning to the UK after Megxit, a body language expert has claimed
Despite appearing delighted to be back in Britain, body language expert Judi James claimed that the prince's tight clutch of his wife signalled 'inner tension and caution'
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clutch → highlight → tension
Ms James noted the Sussexes' 'wide-open-mouthed smiles of delight' and compared their walkabout to performing for an 'ecstatic audience at the O2 arena'.
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James → note → arena
She said: 'There were facial expressions of delighted relief exchanged, with Meghan at one point during her immersive crowd chats beaming at Harry over an armful of bouquets, showing the kind of muscle movement of smile compression around her lower nostril and upper lip that would normally signal "I told you it would all be ok".
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it → say → you
'Harry's flattened palm "hail" gesture to the crowd looked designed to appear like an acknowledgement of their acceptance and ongoing love,' Ms James continued.
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James → design → acceptance
But underlying this display of 'bursting back onto the royal scene', there were hints of unease, she suggested.
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she → underlie → unease
Like Harry's 'clutch', there was another similar telling moment as they watched an acting workshop, according to Ms James.
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they → be → James
'As Harry was in full flight, Meghan sat with one arm wrapped around her own torso in a self-embrace while the other hand was raised in a "broken wing" gesture of performed vulnerability with the fingers touching her throat, another common sign of feelings of vulnerability.
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fingers → sit → vulnerability
'As she looked at her husband, her eyes had a micro-expression of what looked like fear or worry, implying some less confident leakage among all the displays of their self-defined victorious return,' she concluded.
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she → look → return
A crowd of 100 fans gathered to greet Harry and Meghan during their first joint public appearance since returning to the UK today.
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crowd → gather → UK
The duchess beamed as she shook hands and took selfies with fans, including one boy who asked if she lived in a mansion and another who wanted to know whether she had a Bentley.
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she → beam → Bentley
Today's engagements came after the Sussexes were described as 'private citizens' by the King, who is in Wales with the Queen for an official engagement today.
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who → come → engagement
Meghan sat with the fingers touching her throat which, according to Ms James, is a common sign of feeling vulnerable
While Meghan accepted bouquets from fans in the crowd and told them 'it's great to be back', Prince Harry repeatedly placed a protective arm around her
For the engagement, the duchess wore a maroon turtleneck with a matching midi skirt, belt and pointed burgundy heels
Harry and Meghan held hands while taking selfies with well-wishers outside the Community Recording Studio, a youth and community charity
Nottingham is the city where the couple carried out their first royal walkabout together after announcing their engagement in 2017.
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couple → sit → 2017
But almost a decade on, Meghan does not see herself as a working royal and is instead more of a 'full-time mum and entrepreneur', a friend has said, adding that public events like this with her husband will be 'rare' for her.
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events → see → her
Meghan took bunches of yellow and white flowers from supporters who had waited to see her and Harry this morning.
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who → take → her
The couple were given balloons, including one in the shape of a unicorn.
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couple → give → unicorn
The duke stopped to tell one woman he liked her bright pink jacket and that it was 'very nice' to see everyone.
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it → stop → everyone
Emily Davis, 21, who gave Meghan a bunch of yellow flowers said it was an honour to meet her.
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it → give → her
Ms Davis told the Press Association: 'I gave her flowers, and I shook her hand.
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I → tell → hand
I just said, "I've always wanted to meet you.
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I → say → you
'She looks amazing up close.
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She → look → ?
She was dressed amazingly.
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She → dress → ?
I gave her a card, and she folded it up and put it in her pocket so she can read it later.'
Ms Davis said she wrote on the card that Meghan 'really inspires' her.
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Meghan → give → her
Harry and Meghan were greeted by the chief executive of the Community Recording Studio, Trevor Rose, before they entered the building.
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they → greet → building
The crowd cheered excitedly as the couple disappeared out of view into the community hub.
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couple → cheer → hub
They are supporting several charities on their visit, including Nottingham's largest food bank and a recording studio where Meghan will take part in an acting workshop.
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Meghan → support → workshop
The duchess appeared delighted as she chatted to supporters, several of them gave her cards, balloons, flowers and other gifts
Meghan and Harry's walkabout on Thursday mirrored their last visit to Nottingham in 2017, which was their first official royal event together after announcing their engagement
The couple will also visit Epic Partners, a charity that offers sports mentoring for children aged four to 18, and the Himmah Hub, where they will be reunited with members of the Hubb Community Kitchen, a volunteer group from London, that they last visited in 2018.
Hubb, which was established after the Grenfell Tower fire claimed 72 lives in June 2017, has long been a passion project for Meghan.
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fire → appear → Meghan
She wrote the foreword to its 2018 cookbook, Together.
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She → write → cookbook
There is a 'really nice synergy' in their return to Nottingham nine years on, a source said, while adding that things have changed since they were last there.
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they → be → Nottingham
And Meghan, who was out for lunch with her royal wedding hairdresser in London yesterday, will not be making these kinds of visits often.
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who → make → visits
She is reading a lot of scripts at the moment.
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She → read → moment
If she has time left after all of that, she will do some charity work,' the Sussex source said.
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source → have → work
'But she's not a working royal.
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she → work → ?
Her day isn't organised around a programme pulled together by a private secretary.
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day → organise → secretary
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
