Sisters-in-law Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle
would seem to have so much in common. They're
both in their late thirties, they're both
mothers, and most significantly, they're the
wives of men born into the paparazzi-stalked
royal family. Their spouses, Prince William
and Prince Harry, are sons of the late Princess
Diana, and they are subject to a level of
scrutiny more intense than what even Hollywood
celebrities and politicians endure.
You would think that the experience of marrying
into the monarchy would have forged an enduring
bond between Kate and Meghan. A forthcoming
book written by royal reporters, however,
suggests that there's been a rift ever since
Megxit — when Meghan and Harry stepped away
from their royal duties last year. In an excerpt
from Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and
the Making of a Modern Royal Family that was
shared with Elle magazine, the authors noted
the, quote, "cordial but distant rapport"
between Kate and Meghan at an event in July
2019 shortly after Archie was born.
The book also revealed that the two couples
took steps to repair their strained relationship
in the second half of 2019, but Harry and
Meghan's decision to take a step back as working
members of the royal family in January 2020,
quote, "soured the good will."
So are the women indeed on the outs? Body
language expert Mollie Birney, a therapist
and clinical coach, has picked up on subtle
cues that suggest what Meghan really thinks
about Kate — and how her attitude may have
changed post-Megxit.
"I never thought that this would be easy,
but I thought it would be fair, and that's
the part that's really hard to reconcile."
In an interview with The List, Birney explained
how Meghan's gestures, facial expressions,
and posture reveal how this Duchess of Sussex
truly feels about the Duchess of Cambridge.
At the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster
Abbey in March 2020, the most recent recorded
event when Kate and Meghan were spotted together,
the tension between the two ladies was detectable
from both women, though in very different
ways. For Meghan's part, the way she smiled
at Kate — and everyone else — was indicative
of something being off. On the flip side,
Kate seemed to be totally indifferent — and
sometimes a lack of response speaks louder
than words. Birney explained,
"What I'm struck by most [...] is how Meghan's
smile is absolutely unwavering throughout
the procession, through finding her seat and
observing the other guests, and has the appearance
of being fairly forced. It's not a relaxed,
authentic smile, it's tense and forced."
Kate looks past Meghan, not giving her the
time of day, but Meghan's grin is unwavering.
Birney added,
"She continues to smile, despite being ignored
by Kate, who makes absolutely no effort to
make eye contact with her despite being well
within her eye line. No one else around Meghan
is smiling either, so it really does stand
out."
Birney waved off the possibility of Meghan
simply smiling because she's happy. She explained,
"While it's possible she's just exuberantly
happy to be at the event, this looks more
like someone making a concerted effort to
appear to be un-phased by being snubbed, and
impervious to the rumors about the friction
between her and Kate. Essentially, she's faking
it."
The body language between Meghan and Kate
was much warmer in previous interactions,
as Birney observed. She pointed to their interactions
on Christmas Day, 2018, saying,
"It's a very different kind of interaction.
The two lean subtly in towards one another
as they walk from the church. They do make
repeated eye contact, and seem to have a much
warmer, kinder interaction."
This connection, Birney observed, suggests
genuine caring between the women. She added,
"Although it wasn't exactly intimate, the
body language indicated warmth and even a
little playfulness. [...] Meghan's smile is
softer, more authentic, and more reflected
in her eyes than just her mouth."
The Finding Freedom book suggests Kate and
Prince William were miffed that they weren't
consulted about Meghan and Harry's departure
from their royal responsibilities — and
this would certainly explain why the body
language between the royals has cooled off
since their earlier, happier days together.
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