‘Unique’ Body Language Rarely Seen at Royal Weddings in ‘Full Force’ During Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Vows
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding proved to be “unique” in the sweetest way, according to a body language expert. What the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did “full force” while exchanging vows typically seen in “very tiny glances” at royal weddings.
Harry and Meghan went ‘full force’ with ‘eye gazing’ at St. George’s Chapel
At their royal wedding on May 19, 2018, Harry and Meghan only had eyes for each other. Eye contact between the now-parents of two was so intense, body language expert Judi James said at the time, it became “unique.”
“For me, today was something we don’t usually get at royal weddings,” James told Yahoo! News. “Which is the eye gazing between the couple because she [Meghan] gave Harry a 100% eye gaze.”
The expert explained Harry, now 38, returned Meghan’s eye contact with “undistilled awe.”
“When he went to take his vows, the undistilled awe and love for her is what we normally see at royal weddings in very tiny glances,” James said. “But we got the full force of it with this one, which is what made it unique and very touching.”
Eye contact ‘helped’ Harry ‘quite a lot’ during the royal wedding
The body language expert continued, comparing Harry and Meghan’s demeanor at their royal wedding to that of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011. James noted the now-California-based couple managed to lock eyes longer than the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Furthermore, James explained, the eye contact had a seemingly steadying effect on a “so patently nervous” Harry. “The love that was emanating out of Meghan’s eyes really helped him quite a lot,” she said.
Meghan, James continued, served as the “strength” during the ceremony. “Even her blink rate hadn’t got quicker so there was nothing – even in the smaller details – that showed nervousness” on the bride’s part. “To me,” the expert added, “she was the strength when it came to the day and the actual performance.”
What Harry and Meghan remember from their royal wedding
Since exchanging vows and saying, “I do,” Harry and Meghan have, on occasion, shared details of their 2018 royal wedding. For instance, in their 2022 Netflix docuseries, the couple discussed their wedding day, from their first dance to Meghan’s wedding reception speech.
“On the day of our wedding, it’s like I went into a really calm space,” Meghan told Netflix. “I don’t know how I was so calm. I look back at that: How was I so calm?”
As she walked down the aisle to music Harry selected, Meghan remembered “thinking: ‘Just take a deep breath and keep going.’”
Describing the “whole thing” as “surreal,” the now-41-year-old also caught her first glimpse of Harry as she met her father-in-law, King Charles III, halfway down the aisle.
As for the groom, Harry discussed the wedding in the docuseries as well as his January 2023 memoir, Spare. Thoughts of “‘Look at me, look what I got. Look what I found,’” flashed through his mind as Meghan walked toward him, he told Netflix.
“The world was watching us, but when we were actually at the altar, as far as I was concerned, it was just the two of us,” he added.
May 19 marked five years of marriage for Harry and Meghan.
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
