Body Language Expert Says Prince Harry Was ‘Struggling’ When Talking About Meghan Markle’s Depression in Netflix Docuseries: ‘I Hate Myself for It’
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan Vol. II provided revealing details about the Sussexes’ struggles during their time in the royal family. A body language expert looked at the moment Harry struggled while recalling how he handled Meghan’s depression.
Meghan Markle shared her struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts
During the Netflix documentary, Meghan touched on her mental health struggles and said she had suicidal thoughts. “I was like, ‘All of this will stop if I’m not here.’ And that was the scariest thing about it, is it was such clear thinking,” she said.
Harry said he felt “angry and ashamed” that he didn’t handle the situation better when he focused on a royal engagement rather then his wife’s mental health.
“I was devastated. I knew that she was struggling, we were both struggling. But I never thought that it would get to that stage,” he explained.
“And the fact that it got to that stage, I felt angry and ashamed,” Harry continued. “I didn’t deal with it particularly well. I dealt with it as institutional Harry, as opposed to husband Harry.”
He noted, “And what took over my feelings was my royal role. I’d been trained to worry more about what are people going to think if we don’t go to this event — we’re going to be late.”
Prince Harry added, “And looking back on it now I hate myself for it. What she needed from me was so much more than I was able to give.”
Expert analyzed Prince Harry’s body language when he spoke about Meghan’s mental health
Body language expert Inbaal Honigman shared her analysis of Prince Harry during this part of Harry & Meghan, explaining to Daily Star how he was “telling his truth.”
“When Harry references Meghan’s suicidal ideation from early on in their married life, his hand movements are not as smooth as during the rest of his interviews,” she explained. “His hand jumps involuntarily, showing that he’s struggling to control his emotions, and the memories are painful to him.”
Harry “regains control over the hardest emotions,” according to Honigman, then he dives into how he was angry at himself. “His head nods slightly, showing us he’s telling his truth,” the body language expert said. “He looks down, away from the camera which indicates how sad he is thinking back to that time.”
The expert pointed out how, when Harry says the word “angry,” he closes his eyes, explaining this is a “telling moment” as he “protects himself and isolates himself.”
Meghan Markle wasn’t allowed to get help for her mental health concerns
According to Meghan, the palace wouldn’t allow her to seek help. “I wanted to go somewhere to get help. But I wasn’t allowed to,” she explained. “They were concerned about how that would look for the institution.”
Harry noted, “They knew how bad it was. They thought ‘why couldn’t she just deal with it?’ As if to say, ‘Well, everybody else has dealt with it, why can’t she deal with it?’”
He continued, “But this was different. It was really different. But actually, if you strip all of that away and say ‘OK fine, it was exactly the same’ — so do we still believe that she should have just sucked it up like other members of the family? Or does one think that maybe it’s about time that we stop?”
Prince Harry added, “But no one would have private conversations with the editors saying, ‘Enough.’”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
