Meghan Markle joined the Royal Family following her wedding to Prince Harry nearly two years ago. The Duchess of Sussex quickly became a popular member of the family and carried out various royal duties. However, a body language expert revealed when the royal may have been giving signs about her plan to exit.
When Meghan joined the family, she appeared to take to her new royal role quickly and confidently, according to body language expert Judi James.
Analysing her body language during one of her first outings, the expert explained the mother-of-one was natural in the role.
She told Express.co.uk: “Meghan is a passionate speaker and campaigner who seems led by a determination to change things for the better.
“She is superbly confident in her own right. Meghan looks super-poised in these photos, sitting upright and with her mouth opened in an upturned smile that is aimed at the crowds.”
After a royal wedding takes place, it can be a while before a new royal starts to take on duties.
However, Meghan seemed to make appearances very quickly which could have shown the royals had confidence in her ability to do so.
Judi added: “Meghan was fast-tracked into the royal firm here, doing the traditional ‘induction’ trip and appearance with the Queen much sooner than Kate did.
“This suggested some trust in Meghan’s confidence as a new royal and some instant bonds between her and the Queen.”
However, changes in the Duchess were soon noted and her demeanor shifted in the following months.
“After Meghan had adopted a more formal, regal-looking bearing there was also some mirroring between her and the Queen,” Judi added.
“Meghan’s smile looked more demure and she had lost the girlish look that she adopted in their earlier poses.”
Following the birth of her first son, Archie Harrison, 11 months, the Duchess of Sussex took a step back from duties while she adjusted to being a new mum.
On brief public appearances, a distance between Meghan, Prince Harry and the Queen could have shown that they had plans to leave the family, the expert explained.
Judi analysed one of the most recent appearances of Meghan with the Queen before the royal “step back” was announced.
She commented: “As the rifts began to show, and as Meghan and Harry were clearly planning their exit behind the scenes, they did seem to drift away physically as well as emotionally.
“As the other A-list royals clustered around the Queen here Meghan and Harry looked distant.
“Meghan again walked alone, looking in at the group in front from the side and from what looked like a large spatial gap.
“She was not in the line with the other royal wives and now we have been officially told of the rift between Harry and William it’s probably easier to imagine the tensions that surrounded group appearances like this.”
Meghan and Prince Harry announced they would “step back” from their senior royal role earlier this year.
Instead, the couple shared their plans to earn an income of their own and spend more time as a family.