They said it would happen, and it finally did. Eight years after Prince Harry and a then-pregnant Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex were given a rapturous welcome in Australia, the duo returned – albeit under slightly changed circumstances.
After arriving in Melbourne via a commercial flight from Los Angeles, the pair were whisked off in a convoy of vehicles before undertaking the first engagements on what some are calling a “pseudo-royal tour” on April 14.
First up? A visit to the Royal Children’s Hospital where Meghan donned a $1250 dress, by her favoured Australian designer Karen Gee, to take a tour of the hospital’s therapeutic garden spaces.
While Harry and Meghan happily chatted to patients and children during their visit – some of whom were holding up handmade welcome signs – cameras also captured one moment that suggested there may be more going on beneath the surface for the royals amid the picture-perfect occasion.
Australian body language expert Louise Mahler tells Woman’s Day that as Harry and Meghan tour the hospital grounds, Meghan “leads the way, with Harry as a guard behind her”.
“However, one gets the impression a comment was made within their hearing range to distress them,” the expert suggests.
“Harry, from behind, is glaring left at something that has taken his attention that does not make him happy. His jaw tightens and his lips seal as his fiddling fingers show anxiety.
“After holding the gaze for some time he takes his eyes to the ground on his bottom right, clearly engaging with his own negative thoughts,” the expert adds.
Louise suggests Meghan also quickly becomes aware of something amiss as she looks to the floor “before looking up to whatever had caught Harry’s attention”.
“Attempting a set smile, it fades before she looks at the floor again with what looks like disgust and disappointment then you can see her jaw grind before looking up and performing onwards,” Louise explains.
The expert’s comments come amid reports that the Sussexes have been “taken aback” by negative publicity surrounding their Australian visit.
The Daily Mail reported that the couple and their team are understood to be upset about the reception they’ve received Down Under.
“To be fair, they have tried to make the trip mostly about charitable endeavours and limit costs,” a source told the outlet.
“Prince Harry has always had an affection for Australia and for a long time felt it was a home away from home, having done his gap year here in his youth.
“He in particular is known to keep up with his own press and would be taken aback by some strong reactions in the media and the comment sections.”
While footage of Harry appears to show him wrestling mentally with an uncomfortable moment in Melbourne, video of him and Meghan from later that same day show him very much in charge.
The clip shows the beaming couple arriving at the Australian National Veterans Art Museum in Southbank.
The casually-dressed pair clasped each other’s hands as they exited a vehicle and walked towards the venue – with Meghan noticeably walking slightly behind her husband.
“Harry and Megan are doing their best to depict a couple in bliss to transcend Stella and Filip’s epic love story on MAFS,” Louise Mahler tells Woman’s Day. “But it comes across as the showgirl and the body guard.”
The expert points to the fact that as they exit the car Meghan “grabs hold of Harry’s upper arm and hand, hanging on, while Harry strides in front, arms long, reaching out, a smile bigger than the sun”.
“Meghan’s smile is static and unlike the full warm Duchene smile involving the mouth and eyes, her eyes are not engaging,” the expert suggests.
“This is a smile on demand without emotional connection.”
Meanwhile, Louise assesses that Harry is “guiding with firm eye contact” at this moment in the tour, possibly on the lookout for danger.
“His blink rate is low and he is purveying the surrounds as his army training would have taught him,” Louise adds.
