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Most royal watchers were surprised when just two days after the Queen Elizabeth II’s death Prince William, the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton), Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle did a walkabout at Windsor Castle.

The former Fab Four greeted mourners and well-wishers together in an ultimate display of unity, but their appearance together reportedly wasn’t easy for Kate. Here’s more on that and why a body language thinks the Duke of Sussex was pushing his wife along.

Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle getting ready to leave the Long Walk at Windsor Castle after walkabout
Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle getting ready to leave the Long Walk at Windsor Castle after walkabout | Chris Jackson – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Claim that the walkabout was ‘one of the hardest things’ Kate had to do

The claim made about how hard it was for Kate to do the walkabout with the Sussexes is mentioned in a book by royal commentator and historian Robert Jobson.

In an extract from Our King: Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed published by the Daily Mail, Jobson wrote: “It looked as though the ­warring couples had slipped back in time before bitterness and harsh words had destroyed their relationship.”

However, royal sources told the author that was “all an illusion” and that behind the scenes there was an “ill feeling between the two couples” with the Princess of Wales later admitting that the joint walkabout was “one of the hardest things she’s ever had to do.” 

Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle arriving on the Long Walk at Windsor Castle
Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle arriving on the Long Walk at Windsor Castle | CHRIS JACKSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Expert notices Harry ‘pushing’ Meghan away from Will and Kate

If the claim in the book is true that Kate was uncomfortable, she didn’t show it.

Di For Daily podcast host Kinsey Schofield told GB News that “Catherine looked so incredibly stoic, strong, and brave throughout this process, not for one single second did I feel like she looked uncomfortable.”

Body language expert Jesús Enrique Rosas agreed and praised the way the princess carried herself that day despite what she may have been feeling.

“She nailed the way one should behave when you find yourself in a situation in which you need to share the stage with others,” he said (per Express). “Catherine was walking tall with her hands relaxed and her chin really up. Despite what was being requested of William and Catherine in this moment, they behaved in the most diplomatic and polite way, and that is the ability that some people have, that is part of emotional intelligence.”

Prince William waving to crowds on the Long Walk at Windsor Castle after walkabout with Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle
Prince William waving to crowds on the Long Walk at Windsor Castle after walkabout with Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Rosas also discussed the “power of presence” and claimed that when William began thanking the well-wishers and waving goodbye as a signal that they were leaving, Harry couldn’t get away fast enough. The expert pointed out how the duke stepped behind his wife and removed himself from the line of four and placed his hands on Meghan as if to encourage her to move as well. Rosas noted that “Harry was pushing Meghan away from William and Catherine.”

The footage then shows the Duke and Duchess of Sussex turn to one side before quickly realizing they were on the wrong side of the car from where Meghan was supposed to sit and walked around the other way.

Fans praised Prince Harry for what he did after that

Even though Harry may have been trying to push his wife along, fans gushed over the fact that he walked her around to her side of the vehicle first, opened her door, and waited to make sure she was in before walking to his side and getting in.

Fans took to social media to comment on Duke of Sussex’s manners writing: “Say what you will about Harry and Meghan but he puts his arm around her back and opens her car door for her. He loves her. That gets a swoon from me” and “Prince Harry opening and closing the door for his wife, Princess Diana would be proud.”

Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.