Prince Harry’s ‘Needy’ for Meghan Markle’s ‘Support’ in This ‘Heart of Invictus’ Scene, According to Body Language Expert
Prince Harry’s Heart of Invictus docuseries is here. And, with it, a behind-the-scenes look at a 2021 red carpet appearance of his and Meghan Markle’s. Cameras caught what a body language expert has described as a “needy” moment at the Salute to Freedom Gala.
Harry and Meghan walked the red carpet at the Salute to Freedom Gala in 2021
In one of their first black-tie events since stepping away from life as working royals in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the Salute to Freedom Gala. On Nov. 10, 2021, they headed to the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York City, New York, after making a whirlwind visit in September 2021.
Upon their arrival they walked the red carpet. For the occasion, Meghan wore a red Carolina Herrera gown and Harry a suit and his KCVO (Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order) Neck Order and Star.
Harry and Meghan, who became parents for the second time five months earlier with the birth of their daughter Lilibet, also sported red poppies, a symbol of Remembrance Day, or Veteran’s Day, in the U.K.
‘Heart of Invictus’ showed ‘nervous’ Harry looking for ‘support and affection’ from Meghan on the red carpet
Body language expert Judi James analyzed the footage of Harry and Meghan walking the red carpet at the Salute to Freedom Gala. In it she saw a “needy” Harry looking to his wife for “support” amid some admitted nervousness.
“Harry looks needy for Meghan’s support in one scene where they are walking the red carpet hand in hand,” James told Express. Viewers can “hear Harry telling his wife, ‘I’m nervous,’ in what sounds like a bid to get her support and affection.”
That’s not all. James noted Harry’s apparent jitters before taking the stage to make a speech and hand out the inaugural Intrepid Valor Award to five service members.
“We also see him puffing and doing side-bends before going on stage to do a speech,” she said. “And then a very tearful and equally puffing Harry speaking after Meghan has introduced him to the Invictus audience.
Harry called himself an ‘agoraphobe’ in ‘Spare’
As a seasoned royal with decades of experience, Harry has many speaking engagements under his proverbial belt. Walkabouts, speeches, he’s practically done it all. However, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t experience nerves.
As Harry explained in his 2023 memoir, Spare, he’d become an “agoraphobe,” which the Mayo Clinic describes as an anxiety disorder involving “fearing and avoiding places or situations that might cause panic and feelings of being trapped, helpless or embarrassed.”
Calling it “nearly impossible given” his “public role,” Harry shared that on one occasion, he “nearly fainted” while giving a speech. Elsewhere in his book, Harry revealed he and Meghan had become “slightly frightened” of crowds by the time of their 2018 royal wedding.
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
