Meghan Markle is not afraid of public displays of affection.
In mid-February, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, packed on the PDA with Prince Harry, 40, during the Invictus Games in Vancouver.
Upon seeing themselves on the big screen, Meghan leaned in to place her head on Harry’s shoulder and cling onto his arm – as the Duke beamed at the camera.
While up on stage at the Whistler Welcoming Ceremony, Meghan was pictured holding onto Harry’s arm again as they thanked the Invictus Games attendants.
And with one hand cupping his cheek and flashing her £600,000 diamond engagement ring, the former actress pressed her lips to Harry’s as the crowd cheered.
Now, body language expert Judi James has revealed the deeper meaning behind Meghan’s love of ‘facial cupping’ and the key difference between placing her hand on her husband’s face to kiss him versus her co-stars on the hit TV show Suits.
James told MailOnline that the duchess, who was wrapped up in a long cream trench coat to ward off Canada’s plummeting temperatures, used ‘facial cupping’ at the Invictus Games to ‘carefully steer’ Harry into an ‘un-clumsy kiss’.
‘Meghan is clearly a fan of what’s known as facial cupping, which is where one or both hands are placed on the partner’s cheeks as a kiss is performed,’ James said.
Wearing a white puffer coat to stave off the winter chill, Meghan Markle clings to Prince Harry at the Whistler Welcoming Ceremony during the 2025 Invictus Games
The former actress places a hand on Harry’s cheek as she plants a kiss on his lips in Vancouver
‘It’s a controlling gesture that lightly or not so lightly clamps the head, allowing for a more synchronised, un-clumsy kiss via some careful steering and holding in place.
‘It also gives Meghan control over the timing of the kiss, meaning she can delay the lip touch to create a sense of romantic anticipation, or make the kiss more urgent and passionate.’
James theorises that Meghan’s recent use of ‘facial cupping’ with Harry suggests they are still ‘in the honeymoon period of their relationship’ as it is a ‘romantic’ and ‘tender’ gesture.
But Meghan is no stranger to ‘facial cupping’, having used it in a Valentine’s snap with Prince Harry, while salsa dancing with her husband on their trip to Colombia in 2024 and on various co-stars while filming the legal drama Suits.
In an emotionally intense scene in season six, Meghan’s character Rachel Zane is reunited with her fiancé Mike Ross, played by Patrick J Adams, as he is released from prison.
James suggests that Meghan uses ‘facial cupping’ here to give her more control over the scene ‘as kissing a stranger or a non-partner can be a clumsy experience.
‘But there are some notable differences in the way she performs them with Harry compared to how she performs them on set,’ added the expert.
‘Her face-cupping on Suits contains stronger finger-digging gestures than she uses with Harry and the clawed hand with the grabbing gesture suggests sexual passion.’
Meghan shared a snap of her kissing Prince Harry at a restaurant to mark Valentine’s Day
The Duke and Duchess share a kiss while salsa dancing at the Unidad Recreativa El Vallado in Colombia in August 2024
In season six, Meghan’s character Rachel Zane (right) is reunited with her fiancé Mike Ross (left), played by Patrick J Adams, as he is released from prison
James suggests that Meghan uses ‘facial cupping’ here to give her more control over the scene ‘as kissing a stranger or a non-partner can be a clumsy experience
Analysing another picture of strong-willed lawyer Rachel kissing brainiac Mike, James said: ‘She is digging her fingertips into the other actor’s face, with one finger burrowing into a spot behind his ear lobe.
‘This type of strong cupping allows her to clamp the actor’s face for some romantic and teasing eye contact before the kiss starts.’
When facial cupping is done gently on set, it can be used as a form of ‘kissing foreplay’, according to James, and can serve as a reminder for the audience that the characters are engaged or married as the ring can be seen in the shot.
Indeed, the same tactic was used by the Duke and Duchess in their professional engagement photos.
‘The display of the ring is vital in an engagement photograph,’ said James.
Looking closely at the black and white snap of Prince Harry lovingly intertwined with his then-fiancée Meghan, James said: ‘Her hand is unnaturally straight, with the fingers extended.
‘This combines a message of cherishing Harry and being in charge, with the traditional ring display.
‘Given Harry’s superior royal rank and status it was also an important suggestion that Meghan was not going to be seen as the more submissive and vulnerable partner, waiting for a bestowed kiss from her prince.’
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose for their engagement photos at Frogmore House in December 2017
Meghan’s look of love: The duchess can’t take her eyes off the duke as they attend the Skeleton Finals during day two of the 2025 Invictus Games
During the opening ceremony of the sporting event, Meghan placed her head on Harry’s shoulder and clung to his arm
James explains that a ‘bestowed kiss’ is when the lips are pressed against each other while the heads are held straight ‘in a signal of both tenderness and admiration’.
Meanwhile at the Invictus Games, James said that the fanning of Meghan’s hand on Harry’s cheek suggests a ‘desire for intimacy’.
‘The poses at Invictus combine a dominant rewarding ritual, implying Harry is her hero, with a slight fanning or splaying of her hand to suggest a desire for intimacy.
‘It’s as though she’s sending Harry off to do battle,’ she said. ‘Even if the battle is only for the mic and the audience’s heart in this case.’
