Meghan Markle's Subtle Hand Gestures When Traveling With Queen Elizabeth In 2018 Showed She Was 'In Awe Of Her Doting Grandmother-In-Law,' Body Language Expert Says
Even though Meghan Markle may not have gotten along well with some members of the royal family, it looks like she had a soft spot for Queen Elizabeth.
The two took a trip to Chester in June 2018, where they opened the Mersey Gateway Bridge, and during their outing, the 40-year-old apparently revealed how she really felt about the 95-year-old.
"It was clear from the Queen's congruent and very spontaneous-looking smiles that she was delighted to have her new granddaughter-in-law beside her on this visit," body language expert Judi James said. "Meghan did appear rather nervous initially though, emerging coyly from the train and using some more tentative gesticulation than usual."
"Without new husband Prince Harry beside her to touch and hug her, there was a noticeable increase in Meghan's self-comforting self-touch and checking rituals, suggesting she is still quite in awe of her doting grandmother-in-law," she added.
Prince Harry, 37, and Meghan left the royal family in 2020, but the former admitted that he still has a solid bond with his grandmother.
"I've spoken more to my grandmother in the last year than I have done for many, many years. My grandmother and I have a really good relationship ... And an understanding. And I have a deep respect for her," he told Oprah Winfrey in an interview that aired in March 2021.
After it was revealed that Prince Philip was having health problems, Harry and Meghan didn't hesitant to get in touch with the Queen.
"This morning, I woke up earlier than H and saw a note from someone on our team in the U.K. saying that the Duke of Edinburgh had gone to the hospital," Meghan said to Winfrey. "But I just picked up the phone and I called the Queen just to check in."
"That's what we do," she explained. "Being able to default to not having to every moment go, 'Is that appropriate?'"