Is there real, lingering tension between Meghan Markle and the royals, or are onlookers reading
too much into some family interactions?
A body language expert has the answer.
As someone who has made a career out of looking poised and confident in front of the cameras
before transitioning into royal life, Megan Markle has always had a distinct air of self-assuredness.
"Nobody likes a show-off."
In an interview with Smart Works in 2020, the Duchess of Sussex opened up about the
importance of believing in yourself, saying,
"It's the confidence, it's what is built within, that is the piece that you walk out of that
room with and walk into the interview with."
Fast-forward to today, and it seems like if there's one thing missing from Meghan's toolbox,
it's that confidence.
Many eagle-eyed fans have noticed that the duchess doesn't look anything like her normal
self, from a tense on-camera moment with royal aides to all of the awkwardness she seems
to have had with Prince William and Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales.
The Sun reported that King Charles III requested that Meghan not travel to Balmoral Castle
on the day of Queen Elizabeth II's death, noting that Kate Middleton was also not there.
That could plausibly have something to do with Meghan's apparent uneasiness.
It's also worth factoring in that Meghan has spent the last year and a half bashing the
royal family.
Reddit users have been analyzing every little move that the royals have been making ever
since Queen Elizabeth's death was announced.
But it's the behavior of Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle
who seem to be getting the most attention.
One Reddit user pointed out a "power move" that Kate supposedly made toward Meghan right
before they both got back inside their car after greeting well-wishers outside the gates
of Windsor Castle.
Apparently, Meghan felt so uncomfortable after she and Kate locked eyes that she turned around
and awkwardly fidgeted with her hair.
It was a flustered move that fans really haven't seen from her before.
Kate, meanwhile, didn't even flinch.
One Reddit commenter called Kate's demeanor "breathtaking" and "a study in pure confidence."
So, is something going on between Meghan and William and Kate?
Body language expert and communication coach Jess Ponce III, the author of "A.W.E.S.O.M.E.:
7 Keys to Unlock the Speaker Within," thinks so.
In an exclusive interview, he told Nicki Swift that the Duchess of Sussex certainly looked
very uncomfortable with her in-laws, saying,
"There was an awkward moment in public, in which Kate and William paused for a proper,
formal greeting from Meghan.
It didn't happen.
Rather Meghan looked around, awkwardly stood back, and fidgeted.
After a moment, Harry lovingly put his hand behind her as if to signal forward movement."
Ponce added that there's a lot of speculation as to why Meghan Markle feels like the fourth
wheel in the royal family, even though she was very much a part of it not too long ago.
Unfortunately, you'd have to be a fly on a palace wall to know what is being said, because
Kate and William are required to remain tight-lipped.
Ponce said,
"We know that William and Kate won't say anything about it, but will [Meghan]?
Who knows.
[...] Be kind.
Be patient.
After all, this week is about the former queen of England."
Meghan and Harry's openness to talk about what's gone on behind closed doors has reportedly
led some royal family members to avoid contact, for fear of being discussed in an interview
or even put in a documentary or memoir.
"They don't trust them.
They don't trust them not to put it all on camera, to put it all in Harry's tell-all
book."
Meghan and Prince Harry's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, her recent interview with
The Cut, and some of the things she has said in her "Archetypes" podcast might have something
to do with her feeling so out of place with her husband's family.
There are only so many interviews you can do and secrets you can reveal until the other
side says they've had enough of it.
As Ponce put it,
"There are two sides for every story."
While Meghan continues to tell her side, the prince and princess of Wales are telling theirs
in a much less verbal, but physical way.
William and Kate's body language is clearly telling a story of its own.
It looks like this is yet another chapter in the never-ending royal drama.