Harry and Meghan’s Nottingham Outing Draws Parallels With William and Kate for One Peculiar Reason
Despite being estranged, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle share this one commonality with Prince William and Kate Middleton when it comes to public appearances.
At this point, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle couldn’t be further apart from Prince William and Kate Middleton. The two couples have been estranged for several years and seemingly represent two completely different belief systems. However, despite their rift, they are more alike than anyone would have believed when it comes to handling public engagements.
The similarity between the Sussexes' and Waleses’ behaviors was surprisingly apparent during Harry and Markle’s visit to Nottingham this week. The pair exhibited a behavior popularly associated with William and Middleton. Body language expert Judi James noted that during their day-long trip, Markle kept chatting with fans and well-wishers as Harry displayed “signals of being keen to move” her on. These scenarios have often occurred during joint appearances by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
“It's reminiscent of a recent royal outing from William and (Middleton) when (she) appeared unwilling to rush away from keen and adoring fans, prompting William to show playful signals of mock impatience, even gazing at his watch in a theatrical manner,” James told Hello!
A similar situation recently occurred when William and Middleton visited the Isle of Bute. The latter spent so much time interacting with fans that her husband had to remind her to move on, but that didn’t stop the beloved royal from obliging onlookers’ requests for selfies and handshakes, prompting a grin from William.
James believed that this chatty wife and practical husband routine might have been the Sussexes’ way of sending across a message. “The message of popularity is strongly displayed by the couple here, and it is further emphasized as they walk away from the small group of fans and turn in towards the venue,” she said. The body language expert added that the move implied Markle’s “desire to spend time with her fans” and Harry’s “desire to happily try to keep her to schedule, i.e. she is just 'so popular ’.”
Whatever the reason, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their first joint appearance in the UK since returning this week. After their first royal engagement in 2017, Nottingham once marked a monumental first for the couple. They interacted with fans, clicked selfies, and received flowers and gifts from them.
While the Sussexes’ Nottingham visit was widely covered, William and Middleton quietly traveled to Nansledan, Cornwall, on Thursday to learn how nature can support children's social and emotional development. The princess posted a special video message on the matter on Friday.
