Meghan Markle Is 'Insincere' While Prince Harry Takes Reins As 'Dominant' Partner In Australian Visit: Expert

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's four-day visit to Australia, branded by critics as a 'faux royal tour,' has prompted fresh scrutiny of their relationship dynamic, with a body language expert claiming Harry appears as the 'dominant' and 'stabilising' partner while Meghan comes across as partly 'insincere' in her emotional appeals, DailyStar reports.

The couple stepped back from frontline royal duties in 2020 and no longer undertakes official tours on behalf of the Crown. That has not stopped their Australian schedule from looking strikingly familiar. Their appearances in Melbourne and beyond, complete with walkabouts and charity visits, have closely echoed traditional royal itineraries, leaving commentators divided over whether this is genuine philanthropy or a careful exercise in brand management.

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry And The 'Faux Royal Tour'

The latest dissection of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's conduct comes from body language analyst Inbaal Honigman, who has been tracking footage from their time on the ground. Speaking to the Daily Star for Casino.ca, she focused particularly on the couple's arrival in Melbourne, where cameras captured Meghan stepping out of a car and briefly extending her arms outwards.

'As Meghan steps out of the car, she briefly throws her hands outward, suggesting a momentary loss of balance,' Honigman said.

'Harry immediately reaches toward her; his stance is grounded, with both feet firmly planted and his posture strong and confident.'

From that sequence, she argues, a pattern is visible. Harry, in her reading, is not just accompanying his wife but actively directing the encounter. She points to his hand gesture as he reaches for Meghan's arm.

'He extends his hand with the palm facing downwards, a gesture often associated with control,' she said, adding that his body positioning 'suggests readiness to cover her hand with his, reinforcing the impression of him as the more dominant partner in that moment.'

Honigman maintains that this was not a fleeting slip of the camera but something that persisted throughout their engagements. During walkabouts, she noted, Harry was often seen with his hand layered over Meghan's as they greeted members of the public, which she interprets as him 'taking the lead' and acting as a 'stabilising presence' while the pair navigated a visibly mixed reception.

None of this is hard proof of anything, of course. Body language analysis is by its nature interpretive, and what one specialist reads as dominance or protection could just as easily be seen by another as an instinctive gesture of reassurance between a married couple. But in the hyper-scrutinised world of Meghan and Harry, even a hand on a wrist becomes a contested symbol.

Royal Playbook, Private Trip

Away from the micro-gestures, the bigger argument is about the nature of the tour itself. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams has been among those raising eyebrows at the Sussexes' choice of venues, highlighting stops at the Royal Children's Hospital and the Australian War Memorial.

Those are institutions typically visited by working royals on official business, and the optics are hard to ignore. Fitzwilliams suggested the schedule appears to mirror 'the traditional royal playbook,' implying the couple are presenting themselves as if they were still acting in an official capacity and, in his words, 'positioning themselves as heirs' to the monarchy's soft-power legacy.

Supporters of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry counter that the trip is privately funded, carried out independently of Buckingham Palace and centred on their own charitable priorities.

'Meghan's Emotional Appeal Felt Insincere'

Honigman has also weighed in on Meghan's recent comments about feeling 'trolled and bullied,' which resurfaced during the Australian tour. Her reading of Meghan's body language during those remarks is unlikely to soften the polarised debate around the duchess.

'When Meghan explains how badly she was trolled, there are some inconsistencies in her body language that could be interpreted as insincerity,' she said.

Honigman notes that Meghan's shoulders are rolled forward, making her appear physically smaller. In the expert's interpretation, that can signal a desire to be seen as vulnerable and relatable. Meghan's raised, triangular eyebrows and furrowed brow, she argues, form an expression associated with empathy and concern, broadcasting that she is sharing something distressing.

The issue, as Honigman sees it, lies in the eyes.

Meghan 'maintains strong eye contact with her listeners, as though checking whether they are engaged, relating to her, and accepting her account,' she said. Coupled with what she describes as a 'slight smile,' this leads Honigman to conclude that while Meghan 'appears to be honest,' she is also 'seeking a particular response' and has a 'clear intention of eliciting sympathy and support.'

Whether that amounts to insincerity or simply a media-trained public figure trying to connect with an audience is, again, a matter of judgement. What is clear is that every movement from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on this Australian visit has been watched, clipped and pored over, with their unofficial status only intensifying the scrutiny.