Meghan Markle 'Shapeshifts' From 'Childlike' to 'Regal' at David Foster Gala, Body Language Expert Says

One video, two very different Meghans. That is the verdict of body language expert Judi James, who claims the Duchess of Sussex 'shapeshifted' from 'childlike' to 'regal' during David Foster's star-studded gala in Canada over the weekend.

'[Meghan] appears in two very distinct and contrasting body language states at this event,' James said. 'Suggesting firstly a very powerful desire to be liked via some childlike moves, but then also displaying a need to take control.'

The shift, James said, was visible in the way Meghan carried herself, interacted with others and presented herself to the cameras. The transformation from a more playful presence to a noticeably more poised and regal persona was, James suggested, a deliberate performance of contrasting public-facing roles.

Judi James on Meghan Markle's Body Language 'Shapeshift' at the Gala

Communications coach Judi James said the Duchess displayed two distinct and contrasting states during the David Foster Foundation's 40th anniversary gala in Victoria, British Columbia, on 7 August.

The observations followed a video Meghan posted to Instagram on Saturday, showing her and Prince Harry walking through a corridor lined with bagpipers. Meghan appeared delighted as she encountered the musicians, telling them that Harry was a fan of the instruments before enthusiastically praising their performance. Harry then joined in the playful exchange, jokingly asking where his own bagpipes were and claiming he could play both the pipes and drums.

The couple were in Victoria to attend the David Foster Foundation's 40th anniversary celebrations, which included a black-tie gala on Friday followed by a public concert at Victoria's Inner Harbour on Saturday. The foundation supports Canadian families with children requiring life-saving organ transplants.

From 'Coy' Corridor Walk to 'Regal' Red-Carpet Mode

James said the corridor moment showed Meghan in a state of 'shy coyness and excitement', walking a few steps behind her husband while glancing back at the camera in what the expert called a 'broken wing' display of helplessness. She described Meghan covering her mouth in a 'childlike, giggly cut-off ritual' as she made an aside about Harry's love of bagpipes.

The moment the Duchess of Sussex reached the red carpet, Meghan 'suddenly switched up to regal, professional director-host mode', James added. The shift was signalled by Meghan pursing her lips slightly, James noted, alongside a straighter back and raised chin that, in her interpretation, projected confidence in place of the earlier giggling.

Meghan Markle Enters 'Pose-Alert' as David Foster Passes

James also picked up on Meghan's reaction as David Foster and his wife, Katharine McPhee, arrived on the carpet. Meghan extended an open palm to usher the couple into position beside her, smiling warmly at Foster as she did so.

When Foster appeared to walk past without acknowledging her greeting, James said Meghan lowered her head and busied herself adjusting her dress, a gesture the expert interpreted as a moment of distraction. Meghan appeared more relaxed once everyone had settled into the line-up, only for Harry to lean back and chat with Foster behind the group.

James said the Duchess responded by pulling Harry closer and laughing, a move she interpreted as an attempt to smooth over any hint of awkwardness. The Sussexes have a longstanding friendship with Foster and McPhee, with McPhee and Meghan having attended Immaculate Heart in Los Angeles at different times and performed in school musicals together as children. McPhee has previously described their connection and said she and Meghan reconnected years later.

What Fans Are Saying About the Alleged David Foster Snub

The moment has divided opinion online, with many users dissecting the footage frame by frame. One commenter wrote that Foster had made his lack of warmth towards Meghan 'publicly obvious', pointing out that he later spoke with Harry instead.

Others were less convinced there was any snub at all, with several pointing out that Foster may simply have been distracted amid a busy red carpet crowded with photographers and guests. There is no confirmation that Foster deliberately ignored Meghan, and neither he nor the Sussexes has publicly suggested that an intentional snub took place.

The footage has nonetheless fuelled further online discussion, while James's body-language analysis has added another layer to the debate. Body language analysis is interpretive by nature, and James's reading represents one expert's perspective rather than a definitive account of the evening.

For now, the supposed tension remains a matter of interpretation rather than established fact. Meghan and Harry attended the gala to support Foster's foundation, which was celebrating four decades of helping families navigating paediatric organ transplants.