Prince Harry Looked Like a ‘Small Distressed Child’ After Receiving Prince William’s Text in Netflix Documentary, Body Language Expert Says

In the final episode of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix docuseries, Harry is seen receiving a text from Prince William and appears upset. Though the details of the message are unknown, an expert said Harry’s body language looked like a “small distressed child.”

Expert says Prince Harry’s body language shows ‘distress’ in ‘Harry & Meghan’ when he receives Prince William’s text

Body language expert Judi James shared her analysis of the moment, telling Fabulous that Harry shows “distress” over the text message he received from Prince William.

The episode showed Harry receiving a text the day after the Sussex’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey aired. His body language was childlike and Meghan offered maternal support, according to the expert.

Meghan was mid-Facetime conversation with Tyler Perry, reading him the queen’s response to the Oprah interview. Harry held the phone out to her and she told Perry, “Wow. H just got a text from his brother.”

Harry told her, “I wish I knew what to do” and Meghan offered advice to marinate on it a bit. “I know. Let’s take a breather,” she said. “Get some air and then decide.”

“Harry’s distress as he reads is shown by the way he places his fingers to his mouth,” James said.

“He places the back of his fingers to his lips in a self-comfort ritual but initially it looks as though he intended to bite his nails,” she noted.

Meghan reacts ‘like a mother comforting a child,’ expert says

The expert continued, “He then stands holding the phone out to his wife without explanation, his arm outstretched, like a child showing a small injury off to its parent.”

Meghan asked, “What am I looking at?’” and he held out the phone for her, looking for her reaction. “Harry just stares at her face as she reads,” James said. “When he takes the phone back there’s what sounds like a small, projectile sob from Harry, who then sniffs like a child and pulls at his nose.”

James said that Harry is in “full distressed child mode” in the moment, putting his hands on his head.

“His back has arched so that his bare belly sticks out fully from under his t-shirt,” she said. “Meghan wraps her arms round his waist and rocks him like a mother comforting a child.”

Expert calls Harry’s reaction similar to a ‘small distressed child’

James offered a similar analysis of the documentary moment to Daily Star, pointing to the ways Harry’s reaction is like a “small distressed child.”

She explained, “Harry’s response to the text from William looks dramatic and childlike in terms of his body language.”

James continued, “Like a small distressed child he places his fingers over his mouth before holding his arm out fully extended to show it to Meghan, who adopts a more maternal role.”

The body language expert further looked at their gestures and expressions in the moment.

“His fingers go back to his lips as he re-reads but then we see him in a childlike pose of distress, standing with his arms up and his hands holding the back of his head while his belly is fully exposed under his lifted t-shirt,” she said.

“Meghan’s response is totally compatible with this childlike look,” James added. “She stands to wrap her arms around him and to rock him gently.”

Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.