Harry looked 'trapped' during video call and lacks Meghan's conviction on Commonwealth's past, expert claims
Prince Harry looked "awkward" and "trapped" during his recent video call with young leaders from multiple nations where he controversially criticized the Commonwealth's past and called on it to "acknowledge" its wrongs. The Duke of Sussex, 35, recently spoke during a virtual meeting with his wife, Meghan Markle, 38, and global leaders from countries in the Queen's Commonwealth Trust, including Australia, the Bahamas and of course, the UK.
Speaking from his new home in Los Angeles, California, Prince Harry said there was no way to move forward without nodding to the past before bringing up the Commonwealth's checkered past. "So many people have done such an incredible job of acknowledging the past and trying to right those wrongs, but I think we all acknowledge there is so much more still to do," he said. "It's not going to be easy and in some cases, it's not going to be comfortable, but it needs to be done, because, guess what, everybody benefits."
While Harry has come under fire on social media and from various political figures for his comments, a body language expert has revealed that the Duke of Sussex may have been lacking conviction when he said those words. Judi James told FEMAIL that Harry looked "awkward" and "spoke down to the floor" through various parts of the conversation and that he appeared to immediately "reflect" on his comments about the Commonwealth as soon as he said them, indicating he understood their impact.
James highlighted how Harry sat "silent" for the first part of the video as Meghan opened the speaking. "The framing shows Meghan in almost the middle of the shot, able to utilize the space she has to her left to gesticulate and allow her passion to be illustrated as she speaks," she said. "Harry, though, looks slightly trapped to one side, with no room to gesticulate and – at the start – no room to speak."
She said his awkwardness was even more apparent as she was speaking. "Unlike his wife, who adopts the solid eye-gaze that suggests active listening and devotion while he does speak, Harry even looks slightly awkward, gazing to his right and out of shot as she speaks before looking down at the floor," she shared.
James said Harry did not hit the mark when it came to delivering his thoughts either. "When Harry does speak his tone is more critical, with a more lecturing tone. He performs micro-shrugs and head tilts and his part seems to start and end with a camera jerk," she noted.
The body language expert also brought up the Duke of Sussex's mannerisms as he spoke about the Commonwealth and said he was aware of the weight of his words.
"It’s clear from Harry’s body language here that he realizes the importance of his words as he brings his hand gestures higher and they seem to be conducting him and his words as much as adding emphasis," she said. He falters slightly verbally and his eye-dart to the right returns. It’s up to Meghan to wrap his message up into a more powerful phrase about a 'High tide raising all ships' and her eloquence is at odds with Harry’s less structured and flowing style of delivery."