Royal family

The Sussexes were seen holding hands as they left Westminster Hall behind the Waleses who were not doing the same and this is why, according to a body language expert.

Published on September 14, 2022

As people in the U.K. and around the world mourned the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, members of the royal family grieved her death while the public watched.

On Sept. 14, Prince William and the Princess of Wales, formerly Kate Middleton, were seen leaving Westminster Hall after the late monarch’s coffin was taken there to lie in state. Behind them were Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who held hands as they left the building. A body language expert has weighed in on the reason why William and his wife don’t hold hands nearly as much as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Meghan and Harry are almost always seen holding hands

Ever since they made their first appearance together in 2017, Prince Harry and Meghan haven’t been shy about showing PDA. During that first public outing, they were not only holding hands but also hugging and smiling as they whispered in each other’s ears.

After the prince and former Suits star tied the knot, Meghan would often grab onto her hubby’s arm during royal tours and engagements. Body language expert Judi James said that gesture “focuses the attention back onto Harry while making him look rather more alpha.”

Another body language expert Inbaal Honigman, gave her take on why the Sussexes always hold onto one another’s hands in public.

“Looking at Harry and Meghan, they are certainly in love … their constant hand holding, cuddling, leaning on each other, are displays of affection, which are definitely genuine and not for the cameras,” Honigman told Express. “They are in sync, but not fully in sync. They are likely to argue, then make up. Their relationship isn’t fully smooth sailing, but they’re both old enough to know that every problem has a solution, and every argument can be resolved with some love and some compassion.”

William and Kate may have ‘practical reason’ for rarely holding hands

The Prince and Princess of Wales rarely hold hands when they step out in public. However, James believes that there’s actually a “deliberate” and “practical” reason for that.

“William and Kate’s habit of not holding hands in public seems to be based on a conscious decision rather than any aversion to this particular form of PDA,” she explained via Express. “They were photographed ‘off camera’ walking through a hotel lobby this year holding hands happily like any other couple, so the choice to allow their arms to hang close but with the hands not quite touching seems to be deliberate.

“Their more tactile PDAs include back-touches or placing an arm around each other’s waists. These gestures reflect high levels of affection and attraction, so there might be a practical reason to avoid the handclasp.”

James added: “As top-tier royals, they would also have inherited the tradition of not performing PDAs like hand-holding. The queen and Philip rarely touched in public apart from the odd arm-hold and Charles tends to be the same.

“All three couples would have complied to royal pecking order in the days before they married, too, meaning the heir to the throne would have walked ahead slightly, making any touch impossible. Harry and Meghan on the other hand have always appeared as equal status, making long bouts of hand-holding or hugging possible.”

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

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