They finally announced this morning that they are due to tie the knot after getting engaged earlier this month.
And Prince Harry and Meghan Markle looked the picture of happiness as they took part in their first official photo call at Kensington Palace today – despite obvious nerves from the shy prince.
Body language expert Judi James tells MailOnline she believes ‘informal, confident’ Meghan is running the show while offering reassurance to camera-shy Harry, who involuntarily mimics his father’s ‘anxious’ hand gestures.
Harry, 33, and his Californian fiancée walked hand-in-hand outside the west London royal residence on Monday, where they will set up home in Nottingham Cottage.
And Judi, author of The Body Language Bible, says the redhead prince looked ‘shocked with emotion and affection’ while his partner is clearly ‘the one with all the confidence’.
‘Meghan was the one who rubbed his arm for reassurance twice,’ Judi said. ‘He looked terribly shy and slightly awkward and gave “tie sign” – something a lot of Hollywood couples do when they’re on the red carpet to tell their partner when to turn for the camera.’
‘It was so interesting that she was using little arm rubs with him and patting him. It was almost as though she was choreographing him to say, “Right, we’ll go up the steps and do some more.”‘
Running the show: Judi, author of The Body Language Bible, says the redhead prince looked ‘shocked with emotion and affection’ while his partner is clearly ‘the one with all the confidence’ during their photo call today
1. Harry’s ‘paperclip hand’
Eagle-eyed royal watchers also noticed Harry was making a bizarre hand gesture at certain moments – something Judi says is a ‘comfort thing’.
‘It’s almost using his hand as a paperclip to hold his jacket together,’ she notes. ‘Both he and William can be incredibly shy; Harry looks completely in love and slightly bewildered by it all.’
2. Working the cameras like a pro
While Harry is used to public engagements, Meghan is a seasoned expert in front of the camera lens thanks to years spent on the red carpet.
‘She’s quite grown up and more experienced in front of the camera than he is,’ Judi says. ‘Surprisingly, that will probably be quite a good thing for him.
‘We’ve seen the PDAs we know they love each other because they couldn’t keep their hands off each other at the Invictus Games.
‘[Today’s photo call] should have been very formal but it was also incredibly tactile.’
The couple walk back into the Palace after their photo call. While most royal brides-to-be are keen to show off their ring, Judi notes, Meghan let her hand hang casually by her side throughout the brief engagement
3. The ring
While most royal brides-to-be are keen to show off their ring, Judi notes, Meghan let her hand hang casually by her side.
‘She’s obviously got a more casual attitude, but I think it’s going to be very good for him,’ she says. ‘Harry has always been the one who’s allowed to be incredibly informal and this is the first time he’s been formal with a partner.
‘It will be Harry’s first stab at the Buckingham Palace stuff he has been able to cheerfully avoid for most of his life. He’s not going to be good at the formal stuff, but she’s good at it because of her job.
4. Mimicking Charles
‘Harry has started to mimic his father’s hand rituals, which are self-comfort gestures. Charles often pats his pockets and touches his stomach, and now Harry is doing the same.
‘It shows a lot of admiration for his father, but also a feeling of being slightly nervous and under attack from cameras.’
True love: The couple’s appearance today came after weeks of fevered speculation that the pair were preparing to tie the knot, with bookies closing bets on their engagement late last week
Huge change: The couple, who have been dating for 16 months, got engaged in London earlier this month with Meghan, who recently turned 36, preparing to move to the UK capital from her home in Toronto
5. Leading her Prince
As they walked around the garden, Meghan could be seen wrapping a protective arm around her fiancé and patting his back.
‘The dramatic thing was that she was leading him, just like a professional dancer leading the amateur on Strictly,’ says Judi. ‘She was leading the choreography which is quite outstanding for a royal couple.
‘She also has this trait of putting her hands on top of this. The person who does this is normally the one in control – she’s leading the game.’
6. Easy confidence is a breath of fresh air
‘These two are a lot more tactile that your average royal couple,’ Judi notes. ‘I don’t think she’s going to be overwhelmed by royal protocol. She won’t be putting a foot out of line but she’ll be a breath of fresh air for the Royal family.’