It’s the Meghan and Archie show’: Body language expert reveals secrets behind royal baby photos
They look picture perfect — but a body language expert says the latest royal baby images reveal how dramatically Meghan and Harry’s relationship has changed.
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They’re the adorable royal baby photographs that have melted hearts the world over.
A radiant Meghan Markle and a proud Prince Harry caused a media frenzy when they took baby Archie to meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
The stunning images are the first close look royal fans have had of the four-month-old, who has been largely hidden away in Frogmore Cottage.
But an Australian body language expert says the images indicate just how dramatically Meghan and Harry’s relationship has changed since the birth of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
Allan Pease, the author of The Definitive Book of Body Language, told News Corp Australia the pictures showed how the power dynamic in the couple’s marriage has changed.
Prince Harry has taken a backwards step and Meghan, who is “besotted” with her child, is now the dominant one in their relationship, he said.
Pease said the images of the family meeting Archbishop Desmond Tutu appeared “staged” and had the look of a “photo shoot”.
“It’s now the Meghan and Archie show, with some red-headed bearded bloke in the background, trying to get a look in,” he said.
“You can hardly see Harry’s face in the pictures. Even in the photographs where they are sitting down and talking to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Harry is sitting at a distance. He should be closer.”
Pease said before the birth of their son Meghan and Harry’s body language had been in sync and that they had “mirrored” each other.
“They walked together in sync, they even wiped their chins with their napkins at the same time while eating.”
But now, Pease said, Harry is walking behind and seems ill at ease, in sharp contrast to wife Meghan, who has thrown herself into motherhood and is revelling in taking centre stage.
“Even the way Meghan holds the baby now, she holds him on the opposite side of where Harry is. It’s almost like she’s saying ‘this is my baby’ in a protective way.
“She is the one who is definitely wearing the pants in the family now,” Pease said.
The images, released last night, took royal fans by surprise.
Archie, who has become the youngest ever royal to go on tour, was not due to be part of any official engagements.
The royal couple has tried to protect his privacy as much as possible and this is one of the few times he has appeared in public.
During the meeting, Meghan joked with the Archbishop’s daughter Thandeka Tutu Gxashe that the royal baby would have to get used to the cameras, while Ms Tutu Gxashe joked Archie was “going to be a ladies’ man”.
Archie looked bright as a button in a baby blue dungarees and matching bootees for the audience with the South African anti-apartheid icon.
The couple posted a video of their arrival at the Archbishop’s legacy foundation, captioned “Arch meets Archie!”.
Meghan later stepped out for a solo appearance when she met with young female entrepreneurs in Cape Town.
Meghan, dressed in a black jumpsuit, large earrings and black heels, was greeted by a screaming crowd at the Woodstock Exchange, some of whom had waited for three hours.
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The royal couple has tried to protect his privacy as much as possible and this is one of the few times he has appeared in public.
There was speculation that the meeting may not take place because of the Archbishop’s health, but it has become one of the highlights of the tour.
The tour will continue on Thursday with the Duchess visiting technology businesswomen at the Woodstock Exchange in Cape Town.
Meghan will also visit a charity that employs women living with HIV as health workers.
stephen.drill@news.co.uk
Originally published as It’s the Meghan and Archie show’: Body language expert reveals secrets behind royal baby photos