The last two years have been a real whirlwind for Meghan Markle, who went from American royalty (aka a famous celebrity) to literal British royalty. While I've spent a lot of the last two years thinking about how her life has changed, I haven't really considered how it has changed her — because how could it not? Over a fairly quick period of time, she fell in love, moved to another country, and became one of the most famous faces on the entire planet. You can see those effects in how Meghan Markle’s body language has changed in photos of her from before she met Harry in July 2016, to their engagement in November 2017, to their fairy tale wedding in May 2018, and through their current regular appearances as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
If you go back to when Markle was being photographed on the red carpet, it's clear she has always appeared both poised and confident in front of the camera. These are traits she hasn't lost in recent images, and yet there is definitely still a visible evolution in her body language from her starlet days to the present. To help pinpoint how she has changed and what these differences in body language mean, I reached out to the experts. Here is what they see in Markle's body language over the years.
June 2012
In photos taken on the red carpet before Markle met Harry, body language expert Lisa Mitchell tells Elite Daily that Markle seems “much more comfortable showing a more sultry and sexy side of her. From what she's wearing to how she poses for the photographers, it's a much more playful and seductive vibe that she puts off than in the photos of her and Harry throughout their relationship.”
Traci Brown, body language expert and author of Persuasion Point: Body Language and Speech for Influence, agrees, telling Elite Daily, “See how she's really accenting her hips in this pic? That's a subtle move to attract the guys. We'd never see her do this as a royal.”
January 2016
In this photo taken a little more than a year before Markle would meet Harry, the experts again see a woman who's comfortable posing in a more overtly sexy way. “She was much more prone to look over her shoulder, have her legs crossed and show more of a smirk than a genuine smile in the photos from before [she met Harry],” says Mitchell. “I don't think I've ever seen a royal's 'a** shot'! Something tells me that's not in protocol,” adds Brown.
September 2017
Although the two had been dating for several months at this point, they made their first public appearance as a couple at the annual Invictus Games. They were not yet engaged, but their body language indicates there was a connection. “We see her leaning toward Harry. That means she's into him,” says Brown.
Here, Mitchell sees the beginning of what will become the norm in her post-Harry photos. “Since being with Harry, her look and posture is more relaxed and happy,” says Mitchell. “She displays a genuine smile, one where her eyes are activated and the corners of her mouth are pulled up and out, in every picture of her with Harry. That indicates that she is truly happy and it shows all over her face!”
November 2017
In this photo, taken during the official engagement announcement, Mitchell sees signs of true happiness in Markle’s body language. “Meghan has her genuine smile beaming and is clasping Harry's hand with both of hers, showing that she trusts him and is looking to him for support and comfort in front of the photographers.” Mitchell also sees them forming a united front, saying, “She is happy to have Harry's arm in front of her a bit, offering additional protection during the vulnerable time of announcing their engagement.”
For Brown, what really stands out in this photo is the bond between them, saying, “See how she's looking him in the eye — we see that from her a lot. That says real intimacy.” Brown adds that, “she's holding his hand with both of hers. She's not letting him go!”
May 2018
On the couple’s wedding day, it’s all love for the pair. Again, Brown notes Markle’s confidence and the couple’s intimacy, saying, “She’s looking him in the eye at their wedding and their hands are all tangled up. They're just so cute.”
July 2018
After the wedding, and two years after the couple first met, we see Markle’s full transformation in front of the camera. “Here we see her new royal form. Way less sexy, focused just on one guy and looking prim and proper for the cameras,” says Brown. She’s traded flirty and sassy body language for something “more formal and poised,” says Mitchell. “She still displays a genuine smile and her feet are pointed towards Harry indicating that she feels closely connected to him."
Taken together, Brown says these images show her “evolve from a girl on the town to someone much more reserved, refined and elegant with her attention just on one guy.” Mitchell adds that her “biggest overall observation when looking at the before and after is that she seems much more confident, comfortable, and happy with Harry than she did prior to being with him.”
I guess in other words, this is what “happily ever after” actually looks like in real life. I'm here for it.
