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All eyes were on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as they made their first official joint public appearance in Nottingham, England.

They were cheered by a crowd as they arrived at a community recording studio and stopped to greet fans and well-wishers. During their walkabout, experts noticed that Meghan took a page out of the Princess of Wales’ (formerly known as Kate Middleton) book by doing something that is very effective during crowd interactions.

Darren Stanton is a body language and behavioral expert with a degree in psychology. He previously worked as a police officer and used his expertise to uncover the truth when interviewing hundreds of suspects. He later moved into media and has been dubbed the “Human Lie Detector.” Stanton frequently offers his expert analysis on high-profile public figures such as the royals.

Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, Stanton told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “Meghan is very good at working the crowd. She’s confident, engaging, and seems to know exactly how to build rapport with people. One thing I particularly noticed was the way she bends forward to meet people’s eye line. By lowering herself slightly, she makes the interaction feel more personal and approachable. It creates a greater sense of connection because she’s meeting people on their level rather than looking down at them.

“These are traits we’ve seen from Princess Catherine, and I think Meghan has adopted a similar style of interacting with the public. It’s something I haven’t really noticed her doing in the past, so it feels like a relatively new approach. Bending down to meet someone’s eye line is a really effective way of establishing rapport and making people feel comfortable in her presence. It’s a subtle but important piece of body language, and she’s doing it very naturally.”

Stanton added, “Her facial expressions are also really telling. The smiles appear genuine rather than the socially polite or slightly forced smiles. Her whole face is engaged, and her feet remain close together, which adds to the impression that she’s comfortable and focused on the people she’s speaking to. 

“Overall, Meghan comes across as confident and capable, while Harry’s body language suggests he’s looking out for her and making sure she’s settled. Once he’s reassured that she’s doing well, he’s happy to give her the space to shine, although those occasional glances back show that he’s still keeping a protective eye on her.”

Another expert also analyzed the couple’s walkabout.

Sean Johns is a British body language expert who is certified through Joe Navarro’s Body Language Academy and the Paul Ekman Group, and a Non-Verbal Intelligence Expert & Founder of BodyLytics.

Johns, who has offered his expertise to several publications over the years, including the New York Post and The Sun, told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “Harry looked relaxed and humble in Nottingham today. Meghan was more reserved, and her most genuine moment came over a card someone in the crowd handed her.”

Like Stanton, Johns also noticed that the Sussexes “kept bending down to the children’s height along the barrier.” He explained, “When you lower yourself to someone’s eye level, you take away the height gap so they don’t have to look up at you. You’re closing the space and distance and trying to create a level of intimacy.”

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

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