Prince Harry 'has to put wife Meghan Markle', above his love for the Royal Family, according to a royal expert, and their body language speaks volumes for their unity.
Whether you're married with kids or in a relationship, there naturally comes a time when your focus shifts from your family (your parents and siblings) to that of your new family unit. Some of these changes are covered by the term Matrescence - the process of becoming a mother, and inevitably it's a process that can lead to tensions in the wider family.
It's no different for the royals, with Prince William currently putting his wife Kate Middleton and their three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, first while the Princess of Wales recovers from a 'planned abdominal procedure'. Kate is expected to step back by 'cutting ties' and spend more time with friends as part of her post-op recovery.
However, it can be better to strike a balance between your immediate family focus and that of your extended family as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's public decision to step back as working members of the royal family in 2020 led to tensions.
Royal expert Angela Levin believes the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes' lack of care for royal protocol when making such announcements is a sign that he is putting his wife first. She told The Sun, "The family had discussed that if they wanted to go, they could, and would have everyone's good wishes. They were asked to do it slowly and carefully but they didn't want to. They decided to do it their own way by putting up that post.
"Harry has been dragged down with that, Meghan has never had any respect for the family and the hierarchy and protocols. Harry said he tried to lay out the protocols and make it easy for her to understand but she didn’t care. They bent over backwards to be kind but Meghan wanted it all her way. They still pretend they know much better than the Royal Family do, and how to run it. They don’t want to have any connection to them. Harry is lonely but pleasing Meghan comes first."
Signs Prince Harry put his wife and family first before The Firm
- Quitting the Royal Family - At a High Court hearing an excerpt from Prince Harry's statement was read out, it said, "It was with great sadness for both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020. The UK is my home. The UK is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the US. That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe when they are on UK soil. I cannot put my wife in danger like that and, given my experiences in life, I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too.”
- Naming their youngest Lilibet - It was reported this month that the late Queen Elizabeth II was 'angry as I've ever seen her' over Princess Lilibet's name as it was claimed the couple never sought permission from the Queen to name their daughter after her.
- Avoiding mentioning King Charles and Kate's medical procedures - Prince Harry attended the Living Legend of Aviation Awards solo and his speech failed to mention his father and sister-in-law's health concerns. Angela Levin said, "He didn’t say anything. I felt that he was bound to say 'I’m so sorry to hear that both my father and sister-in-law are unwell'. He just needed to say one sentence I think he’s between a rock and a hard place. He’s got to please his wife to an extreme. I think she’s very difficult." Angela added, "Deep down he still loves his family but she comes first and that’s ok. But I think she demands that he has no contact with the family." However, you could say that Prince Harry would be damned if he did speak out and is damned because he didn't.
Prince Harry's actions of putting his wife first are supported by their new 'tight' unity. Analysing the pair on behalf of Betfair Bingo, body language expert Darren Stanton has lifted the lid on the couple’s ‘tight’ display at the Bob Marley biopic, which showed Harry in a more ‘relaxed’ light compared to other appearances: "Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appeared very tight and completely united while attending the One Love premiere. The way they were holding hands was quite significant and it was the first thing I noticed. It wasn’t just simply holding hands, but they had their fingers interlocked into each other, which is a really tight way of showing a connection.
Darren noted that in recent months, the pair "haven’t displayed as tight or open of a connection in terms of PDA" and that this couldn’t be more different. He continued, "This proves to me that they’re both in a really strong place and feel totally synchronised with each other."
He explained, “Harry usually doesn’t appear as relaxed whilst attending events with Meghan. It’s not a negative sense, but I think it comes from a place of wanting to protect her. However, he seemed really relaxed, his shoulders were down, his breathing wasn’t as rapid, and his face wasn’t red. These are the four key signs I usually look for in Harry which signal stress. At this particular event, he appeared calm and was happy to be there.”
Meanwhile, Darren also noted a change in Meghan, he said, "There was a great moment of reciprocal PDA from Meghan, where she placed the flat of her right hand on Harry’s chest. The chest is known for being a sensitive area in body language, as that’s where most of your vital organs are. The fact she placed her hand there proves that there’s huge trust and rapport between them. From the photos I’ve seen, they’ve never been stronger.
“Meghan also displayed fixed, prolonged eye contact towards Harry on the night. At one point, the pair were pictured with Meghan gazing up towards her husband. There wasn’t much space between them and they seemed really close. Physical touch, proximity and eye contact are three major gestures that signal when a person may be in love, and Meghan displayed them all.”
In other royal news, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly ‘shocked’ about the controversial reaction to their baby name and Beano artist reveals secret portrait he created for Prince George and Princess Charlotte - (and we think Prince Louis will be gutted he missed out).
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