Prince Harry was so fed up with his position in the Royal Family of playing second fiddle to his brother Prince William, that he angrily titled his memoir Spare.
But some commentators have suggested history could now be repeating itself in his marriage, as he is becoming like the directionless spare to his wife Meghan Markle and her Hollywood ambitions.
The Daily Mail’s Diary Editor Richard Eden has explored the theory by analysing their body language in the latest episode of the YouTube series Reading The Royals.
In the show he exposes that beneath the carefully curated public displays of affection, their behaviour reveals a shifting power dynamic in Meghan’s favour.
The acclaimed royal expert looks back at their relationship through some famous and some less well known pictures, and analyses their behaviour while explaining the context of what was going on behind the scenes when they were taken.
Speaking on the show, he said one of the most revealing photos was the cover photo on Time magazine for its 100 list of the World’s Most Influential People in September 2021.
The picture shows Harry dressed in all black and Meghan in all white on a terrace at their $14.65million mansion in Montecito, California.
Richard said: ‘Oh wow, I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say this is one of the most striking pictures ever taken of a royal couple.
The Daily Mail’s Diary Editor Richard Eden has said one of the most revealing photos of Harry and Meghan was the cover photo on Time magazine for its 100 list of the World’s Most Influential People in September 2021
On the show Reading the Royals, Richard exposes that beneath the carefully curated public displays of affection, their behaviour reveals a shifting power dynamic in Meghan’s favour
This picture in October 2019 was one of the first times Meghan showcases her habit of holding one of Harry’s hands with both of hers – dubbed the ‘hand sandwich’ by body language experts
Watch the latest episode of Reading the Royals here:
‘It is amazing that an image can say so much. It is also, I don’t think it is unfair to say, absolutely absurd.
‘To set the scene we are in September 2021, we have had the controversial interview with Oprah which left royal and royal watchers aghast, but Harry and Meghan as an independent couple still have a huge popularity and interest around them.
‘Which is why they are on the cover of Time magazine’s 100 list of the world’s most influential people.’
At the time the photos were published, they were widely branded as ‘very posed’ and ‘awkward’, while being ‘heavily airbrushed and photoshopped’.
Some commentators suggested they had the rehearsed quality that would be expected from a full on PR campaign presenting them as a ‘Power Couple’.
Richard added: ‘That a royal couple would ever do a shoot like this is extraordinary in itself, what does it say about their changing power dynamic?
‘Meghan dominates the image with Harry positioned firmly in the background. A clear reversal of the roles we might have expected as he is the royal.
‘Meghan stands unquestionably confident wearing bright white and splayed hair stands out, while Harry pops out behind her shoulder in what just looks a bit awkward, like a child appearing behind an adult’s knee or like he wants a piggyback.
Meghan was also seen to be very dominant in their first TV interview in November 2017, with images showing how her arm was stretched across her then fiancé
One image from the engagement interview showed Meghan leaning into Harry’s space with confidence
Richard said the couple’s first appearance at the Invictus Games in Toronto in September 2017 showed they were prepared to ignore the traditional practice of the royals being formal in public as they displayed how comfortable they were being ‘touchy-feely’
‘It was an image that spawned endless memes and comments on social media. One of my favourites was: “This looks like Harry is her hairdresser and he’s looking into the mirror explaining what he did to her layers”.’
One critic posted on social media at the time: ‘Wow, this photo speaks volumes. There is no hiding who’s in control’.
But Time’s picture editor, Dilys Ng, who made the final decision on the cover image, defended it at the time as showing the Sussexes as ‘powerful dynamic as equal partners’.
However, the Time cover picture is just one of the many images Richard analyses in the 26-minute episode.
The first ones that Richard looks at are in September 2017, when Harry and Meghan were pictured at their first ever public appearance at the Invictus Games in Toronto.
Richard said the couple instantly showed they were prepared to ignore the traditional practice of the royals being formal in public as they displayed how comfortable they were being ‘touchy-feely’.
He said the appearance would go on to ‘set the tone’ for the rest of their relationship, describing them as ‘very tactile’ and ‘determined to do things their own way’.
Richard then talks about how Meghan grasps Harry with both of her hands in their engagement photos a few months later where she appears to be trying to warm him up by rubbing his arm.
Richard also discusses how Meghan grasps Harry with both of her hands in their engagement photos where she appears to be trying to warm him up by rubbing his arm – like a mother would
Prince Harry and Meghan pose together while on their faux-royal tour of Colombia
The pictures remind Richard of what people have said more recently about the royal couple – that Meghan is ‘like a wife and mother to Harry’.
Meghan was also seen to be very dominant in their first TV interview, with images showing how her arm was stretched across her then fiancé.
Richard then looks at images from the royal wedding of Harry putting the wedding ring on Meghan’s finger, which he said could be seen as her being dominant again as her other hand was placed over his while he was doing it.
A couple of months after the wedding, Richard said the roles between the two were starting to show Meghan leading and guiding the Prince.
Another picture from around the time shows Meghan also showcasing her holding one of Harry’s hands with both of hers – dubbed the ‘hand sandwich’.
Body language expert Judi James said it is the strongest form of handholding and gives them a ‘romantic couple appearance’.
Richard notes it a move royal watchers end up becoming ‘very familiar with’.
But these pictures are just some of the many that are analysed regarding Harry and Meghan’s relationship, which is explored in its entirety on the latest episode of Reading the Royals.
Richard also looks at images from the royal wedding of Harry putting the wedding ring on Meghan’s finger, which he said could be seen as her being dominant as her other hand was placed over his while he was doing it
Throughout the show the acclaimed royal expert Richard Eden looks back at their relationship through some famous and some less well-known pictures, and explains the context of what was going on behind the scenes when they were taken
The episode comes after Harry and Meghan look to continue their developing media career with hopes Meghan’s new lifestyle cooking series With Love Meghan will be a hit.
Although Prince Harry’s five-part documentary POLO was deemed a flop with critics deeming it ‘boring’, a Netflix boss this week has insisted the streamer remains ‘excited’ at the prospect of future projects with the couple.
The vote of confidence in the couple comes after a bombshell 8000-word profile of the couple with a litany of unflattering revelations in the previously supportive magazine Vanity Fair was published in January.
These ranged from the mildly critical suggestion that they have annoyed neighbours in Montecito (because of the attention they have brought) to the potentially damaging claim that Meghan’s team has discussed a possible ‘post-divorce’ book deal should she split up from Prince Harry.
The profile also tackled long-running claims that Meghan’s behaviour towards colleagues could amount to bullying.
One of Vanity Fair’s sources described her treatment of underlings as ‘really, really awful. Very painful’, while it said that others quit early or resorted to therapy after working with Meghan.
The couple are still reeling from a bombshell 8000-word profile of the couple with a litany of unflattering revelations in the previously supportive magazine Vanity Fair was published in January
The Duchess’ upcoming show, With Love Meghan, was originally due to be broadcast on January 15, but has been moved to March 4 due to the ongoing devastation caused by the Los Angeles wildfires
However some sources, such as Jane Marie, a producer who worked with the couple during development of Archewell audio projects, told Vanity Fair that Meghan is ‘just a lovely, genuine person’.
Staff loyal to Meghan and Harry have previously defended the couple to US Weekly magazine, describing them as ‘caring’ bosses who give employees their children’s old baby clothes, fresh flowers and ‘care packages’.
The Duchess’ upcoming show, With Love Meghan, was originally due to be broadcast on January 15, but has been moved to March 4 due to the ongoing devastation caused by the Los Angeles wildfires.
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