Body Language Expert Weighs in on Meghan Markle’s Claim She Didn’t Know What a Walkabout Was
In the Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, Meghan Markle claimed she didn’t know what a royal walkabout was. While a lot of her critics thought that was unbelievable, a body language expert shares the signals that prove she wasn’t lying about the claim.
Meghan Markle said she didn’t know what a walkabout was
During the docuseries, Meghan shared some of her first experiences with the royal family and how she was pretty clueless about what was involved. While she learned about royal life along the way, she claimed that she didn’t know what a walkabout was.
“I never saw pictures or videos of a walkabout,” Meghan said. “It’s like, what’s a walkabout?” She was referencing her first public outing with Prince Harry in Nottingham a few days after their engagement.
Harry added, “I could talk her through as much as I knew from my own experience of what I’d seen. But the piece I really didn’t know about was the style, right, and what a woman needed to, how they needed to dress, and all that sort of stuff.”
Body language expert says he supports Meghan’s claim
In a video posted on The Behavioral Arts YouTube channel, body language expert Spidey looked at the Sussexes’ gestures and expressions during their documentary.
Spidey provided his analysis of the docuseries moment. Meghan said “she didn’t know what certain things were or how to act in certain situations, like when she first met Prince William and Princess Catherine, when she first met the queen,” he noted.
The expert wondered why Meghan didn’t ask for help to sort out the logistics of the walkabout but said he does “back her up.”
Spidey explained, “I don’t think that she’s saying that she didn’t know what a walkabout was by the time she went to the walkabout. I think she’s saying that initially, she didn’t know what a walkabout was — at first, when she was told, you have to go do a walkabout, she didn’t know what it was.”
He continued, “At least in this documentary, to me, that’s what it sounds like she’s saying. And then certain elements of it were explained to her.”
He added, “Harry literally says that he explained to her what he did know, so, to a certain degree they did have a conversation about it.”
Prince Harry’s body language and statement are noteworthy, expert says
Spidey also looked at Harry’s body language in the clip. “What’s interesting about this statement is that as soon as she says it, we get a confirmation glance from Prince Harry but not towards her, towards the viewer, towards us — more specifically, the director or whoever’s sitting behind the camera.”
He pointed out Harry’s “tight smile” in the moment but, more revealing, was Harry’s “slow blink.”
“A slow blink is something we often do when we’re having a hard time facing something,” Spidey explained. “It’s kind of like we brace ourselves and it could happen with irritation or with an unpleasant thought.”
The expert continued, “I think what’s going on in his head is he’s going, ‘Oof. I’m not so sure people are going to buy that you didn’t know what a walkabout was.’ And at the same time, he’s turning to see what the response to that statement is.”
He added, “And I think that’s why he immediately corrects or elaborates what she said. By saying, ‘No, I mean I told her what I knew from my experience but there’s still some stuff that I didn’t know.’”
While Harry admitted he didn’t know what Meghan should wear to the walkabout, the body language expert said the couple certainly could have found that out.
“Every now and then they talk about how they were clueless in certain situations or she was clueless in certain situations and I just kind of feel like, if they wanted that information they could have easily found it,” Spidey noted.
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