Prince Harry’s ‘Different’ Body Language Led to a Royal ‘First’ in New York, Expert Says: ‘Never Had to Do Before’
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s October 11 New York visit has come and gone. But the Duke of Sussex’s body language is still being dissected. What an expert had to say about Harry’s “different” body language at a World Mental Health Day event hosted by the Archewell Foundation. Plus, why it marked a “first” for him in his post-working royal life.
Harry and Meghan hosted a New York social media summit to mark World Mental Health Day
Returning to New York following a May 2023 “near catastrophic car chase,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex celebrated World Mental Health Day. They hosted a discussion at Project Healthy Minds’ World Mental Health Day Festival on Oct. 10, 2023, marking their foundation’s first in-person event.
Titled ‘The Archewell Foundation Parents’ Summit: Mental Wellness in a Digital Age,’ Harry and Meghan spoke to parents about mental health challenges associated with social media. Joining them were Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and moderator and Project Healthy Minds board member Carson Daly.
Harry had to ‘fight for attention’ after being ‘interrupted’ by Meghan Markle in New York
Speaking to the U.K.’s Mirror, body language expert Judi James noted Harry’s awkwardness at a California charity event in the form of a “‘please listen to me’” hand clasp returned in a different way.
“It’s interesting here, then, that Harry ends up being interrupted by his wife,” James said. “Not only does he seem to be fighting for the guy’s attention, he also seems to be losing the battle to Meghan, too. She appears to take over with a smile and social ease that Harry might be lacking.”
The body language expert continued, saying the moment marked a big shift from Harry’s life now to his former life as a senior working royal.
“Harry is having to do something he never had to do before, which is to fight for attention and to win or earn admiration,” she explained. “As a royal in the UK, he fought to avoid attention, but was clearly sucked up to, adored, and listened to everywhere he went. Being royal meant whole events would be planned around him. And his fans queued to get a chance to touch him and get near him.”
“He was unconditionally loved,” James added. “And like most royals, he probably made the mistake of thinking this was all about who he was, not what he was.”
New York Prince Harry looked ‘uncomfortable’ sitting in an ‘awkward position’
The Duke of Sussex, 39, wasn’t necessarily the picture of ease in New York. James didn’t point a “royal smile” on Harry’s face or, say, prim posture. Instead, she observed how his “entire pose and physicality made him look uncomfortable.”
Harry, who sat onstage alongside Meghan, the U.S. Surgeon General, and Daly, maintained “an awkward position.” Additionally, “he didn’t ‘take control’ of his seat. Which means adopting a pose that retains a sense of dignity and elegance [in] whatever chair you’ve been given.”
Meanwhile, when Harry took the mic, he did some repeated movements of “self-comfort.”
“When he spoke, he also rubbed his hand along his thigh, up and down, several times,” James said. “The odd self-comfort gesture can be understandably subconscious. But this was repeated to a point that he must have been aware [of] what he was doing.”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
