Anyone who's ever been in a relationship knows that, much like an onion or an ogre, relationships have layers. Your relationship is one way when it's just you and your partner hanging behind closed doors. Then, you go to dinner with your partner's family, and your dynamic is completely different. The same thing happens when you're with your friends, complete strangers, or work colleagues. You get the picture here. Everyone experiences little shifts in relationship dynamics, even the royal couples. In fact, the royal couples' body language at Westminster Abbey on Commonwealth Day shows just how close and comfortable the two couples really are.
This Monday, March 12, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended a church service at Westminster Abbey in honor of Commonwealth Day (i.e. a day to celebrate the Commonwealth of Nations) alongside Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton. Now, if I were in Meghan's shoes, this whole thing would be extremely intimidating to me. You mean I have to impress my bae's *royal* family all while cameras are flashing at me left and right? Hard pass. But according to the analyses of two body language experts whom Elite Daily asked to interpret pictures of the couples at the service, the two couples are, in fact, very comfortable with each other. In fact, I'd go so far as to call them good friends.
01They're A Close-Knit Group
When looking at this picture, the first thing Traci Brown, body language trainer and author of Persuasion Point: Body Language and Speech for Influence, notes is the fact that almost all of them are covering their torsos.
"Notice how everyone is covering their torso area but Meghan. They're all protecting themselves just a bit," she explains. "This is especially understandable for Kate having a baby on the way."
In fact, the covering of the torso is a go-to move of Harry's. "Harry is very consistent hiding half of his hand in his jacket again," she notes. "He's been doing this for years."
Meghan, on the other hand, has no need to do this. "Meghan is comfortable enough with herself and her surroundings that no protection is necessary, even though there's lots of onlookers and photographers around," Brown says. "She's showing that she can [be] very elegant and refined, no matter what's going on around her."
But don't be fooled, Meghan's comfort in the situation doesn't mean she's trying to steal the spotlight. "She's not trying to outshine anyone around her. She's just comfortable in her own skin," Brown explains. "Notice how she's in perfect step with everyone except William. That just says that, overall, this group is a tight unit."
02They All See Eye To Eye
"I love how the princess[es] both are using their comfort cues with their hands close to their bellies [or] adjusting the jackets," notes Patti Wood, a body language expert who holds a BA and MA in Body Language and Nonverbal Communication. "Meghan and Kate are matching each other," adds Brown. "So are William and Harry! This is a sign that they're all on the same page, and have great rapport with each other."
03They Became More Guarded As More Cameras Arrived
Brown hypothesizes that the above photo was likely taken shortly after the photo of them all talking (in item number two). "Almost everyone is guarding themselves just a bit with [their] hands in front of them, either in the figleaf position or with hands on their torso," Brown explains. "What's changed? Has the chaos around them ramped up a bit? Probably so."
But don't be worried about your new favorite clique's relationships. "There [are] likely photographers calling their names, more camera shutters clicking, and the fact that they've arrived has the crowd more in a stir," Brown reassures. "So this is natural."
The bottomline here? The royals look like a tight-knit clique that I just wish I could be part of.
