Expert Decodes Meghan and Harry's Awkward Moment
Although the royal newlyweds are known for their OTT (and downright adorable) PDA, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry recently made an exceptionally awkward public appearance during which they walked in close proximity to each other while physically separated. A loop drawing attention to the cringe-worthy moment, which occurred during the Young Leaders Reception at Buckingham Palace on June 26, recently surfaced on Twitter for your replaying pleasure - and there aren't enough emojis in this world to express the discomfort you'll feel after watching:
There's no question about what's going here: PDA during official royal outings of a serious nature is rare and seemingly discouraged, as per the example set by the Queen and her husband Prince Philip, and Prince William and Kate Middleton, according to royal-etiquette expert Myka Meier, and as reported by People. Royal biographer Gyles Brandreth said it's all about the "stoic values" of the Queen's generation.
But to figure out exactly what the newlyweds are doing in their effort to respect the royal protocol, body-language expert Blanca Cobb breaks it down:
First, Prince Harry:
"I don’t think Prince Harry knows what to do with himself since he couldn’t or wouldn’t hold Meghan’s hand," Cobb says of Prince Harry's completely un-choreographed, five-step hand fumbling. First, he touches his jacket button, then his tie, then back to the jacket button. Then, he lets his hands hang along his sides before finally clasping them in front of the body. He practically binds his hands as if to prevent himself from reaching out to touch his wife, according to Cobb. Newlyweds - they're like magnets!
Now, Meghan:
When the royal progression begins, Meghan first looks in Harry’s direction as if subtly asking for advice. Because he keeps his gaze forward, she's SOL and reverts to plan B: sweeping her hair out of her face as if she'd planned it the whole time. But the gesture is an empty one: She doesn't actually tuck the strands behind her ear to secure it, or change her style at all.
With hair back in her face, Meghan tentatively lowers her arm with a bent elbow before extending the joint. "Her arm and hand don’t swing naturally," Blanca says of this behavior. "It’s as if she’s keeping it within Harry's reach for when the moment presents itself that they can hold hands."
Well. You can't spell awkward without, "Aw!"
WTF?!
"They both seem a little lost without the physical connection through touch," Cobb says. "Both of them don’t know what to do with their hands since they can’t touch each other."
There you have it: Royals! They can look just as lost as us!
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