I'm sure that whenever you watch that Harry and Meghan engagement video, you can't help
but feel that something is just... off
And you're about to find out exactly what to look for to understand why this clip gives
you such... strange vibes.
Welcome back, my body language buddies!
my name is Jesús Enrique Rosas, I'm the Body Language Guy, and it would be great if you
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Well, there's no shortage of people who say that by this point, they were really looking
forward to Meghan and Harry's future as royals.
That this could work, and that, with some reservations, they looked like a great couple.
But it's also a reality that a lot of people has already seen through the facade, and some
claim that their intuition just set all kind of alarms from day one, especially this video.
Now, I must confess that I had seen many photos of the moment itself, but the first time that
I really took a look at this video, was after watching that BBC documentary "The Princes
And The Press"
That's when I realized that the video's length was important for context.
And it was mentioned that there were two factors that set a non orthodox tone to the engagement
reveal.
First of all, the actual Harry and Meghan part.
They walking in, saying hi, and going away lasts less than ninety seconds.
That's basically nothing.
And the other factor is that the reporters and photographers had to stand on the other
side of a pond.
Now, when you're analyzing behavior, body language is just one part of the picture.
In fact, body language is one subsection of nonverbal communication, that is a more general
and complex term.
And in the two factors that I've just mentioned, first we've got length, or time of exposure,
and second, proxemics, or what is the distance at which the interaction happens.
It's not so hard to figure out that the closer the interaction happens, the warmer and more
personal it feels.
And of course, when you take into account time, it speaks volumes about the person's
disposition to interact.
If the person limits or breaks the interaction before there is any significant exchange of
goodwill, then it's gonna be perceived like they are not that much interested in the exchange,
in the first place.
It's like you go to the movies, but halfway through the experience you decide that...
well, this is boring.
I don't want to stay here.
And you break the interaction by leaving.
Just these two characteristics of Nonverbal Communication are the first clue that foreshadowed
how was this relationship with the press going to be, from now on.
And that's the reason it was mentioned in the Documentary "The Princes And The Press".
The reporters considered rude not only that Meghan and Harry were on the other side of
the pond, but of course, being so far away, it was not practical to ask, much less answer
any questions.
Now that I think of it... they were on the other side of the pond...
whoa, they were already signaling their plans of leaving for 'Murica!
You might think that there is no reason why they should have acted any other way.
I mean, the background, the setting was actually really nice, with warm reds and the greens
around them.
That background was actually an analogy of the couple.
Red, as in Harry's still growing hair, and green, as in Meghan's face every time anyone
mentioned Kate.
But not being able to interact with them was a flagrant snub.
And one has to remember that the only reason the British Royals are no longer harassed
by paparazzi is that there is some kind of agreement.
We, the tabloids, will not make your life miserable acting like total arseholes sneaking
into places that should get us shot without warning...
...as long as you, the British Royal Family, give us pictures, allow for interviews, and
in general, cooperate with the generation of stories.
This invisible contract is pretty much like Meghan's acting career.
Everyone knows that it exists, but nobody feels the need to talk about it any more.
It would be very hard to know, when did this agreement start, or what exactly are the terms,
but we DO know that when William and Catherine got engaged, the moment was strikingly different
from Harry and Meghan's.
In their case, they not only were in the same room with the reporters, directly in front
of them.
But they also took questions and answered with a smile.
Let's just say that this is part of the job.
And it's a common persuasion tactic, that is reciprocity.
If you want something, in this case the tabloids to behave in a civilized manner, you have
to throw them a bone or two.
Give them pictures, or at least more than just a few seconds to snap pictures before
going away.
And please, for the love of God, do not put them right in front of a big, murky, filthy
big block of... whatever this is.
Now, this clip has a lot of body language signals, including Meghan leaning away from
Harry, like he got bad breath, and I should do a dedicated video about it.
If you want to watch it, just show me some love with the like button.
But one body language signal that they displayed is that they turned their backs on the reporters.
When they entered the garden, they walked in from the exact same angle as Willam and
Catherine.
From the left.
Remember that this is the direction that we read, from left to right, so if you are walking
in that same direction, you're implying a forward movement, a movement towards the future.
So far so good, right?
But as soon as they...
I mean, MEGHAN decided that it was more than enough time and they had to go, they went
away turning their backs on those present.
I don't know the royal protocol on this, there should be a royal protocol that regulates
these kind of displays, but you should never turn your back to people when leaving.
You can leave either from the same direction you came, or you can keep walking and get
out on the other side of the scenario, so to speak.
And this was Kensington Palace.
I'm sure there could be any other kind of configurations or setups that they could have
planned so it didn't look like this.
This is awkward.
William and Catherine did not have this problem because they were, quite literally, with their
backs to the wall.
So, unless they can walk through walls like David Blaine, then there's no way they could
have given their backs to the reporters.
Most probably they left from the same side they entered.
In fact, it was in two stages.
First they were standing right next to the edge of the pond, and I'm sure the photographers
were asking them to, at least stand in a higher level so the big block of slimy green stuff
would not block the way.
Or maybe, it was a miscommunication.
It was so far away, that one of the photographers shouted, "We've got a problem with that big
block of murky green stuff".
And Harry replied, "How dare you call Meghan like that!", and they stormed out, finishing
the exchange.
As usual, recollections may vary.
Speaking seriously, I want to stress the fact that people vastly underestimante the way
nonverbal communication can condition our perception.
And this is something that I'm absolutely sure that Kensington Palace's advisors would
have suggested a different approach.
I wouldn't doubt for a second that this was Meghan's idea.
I don't buy into the narrative that Harry is terrified of the clicking of the cameras.
Because in fact, he was actually trying to talk to the reporters.
Props to him.
At least, he was trying to connect in some way.
I would like to know what's your opinion on this supposed agreement between the tabloids
and the royal family.
Do you think that's fair? or needed?
Just write it in the comments.
But one thing is for sure.
If you want to take control of the narrative and control or even limit the communication
with the media, it's not that good an idea.
Of course, not every reporter abides by a personal code of ethics, and some can be really
nasty.
But when you have the slightest intention of making an impact in the world, like they
have claimed so many times...
You cannot forget that your relationship with the media is part of the job, because they
are the ones that put your words and images out there.
It's a symbiotic relationship that doesn't always work, but when it does, everybody can
win.
If you want to refine your observation skills, all you have to do is download my 100+ body
language tips, right in the description of this video.
My name is Jesús Enrique Rosas and it will always be a pleasure, my body language buddies!
Much Love, and Bliss.