Prince Harry “Was His Impassioned Self” as He and Meghan Markle Appeared in Dusseldorf: Body Language Expert

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s back-to-school European tour is passing by at the speed of light. They’ve already completed their Manchester leg of the tour, when the Duchess of Sussex gave an empowering speech at the One Young World Summit, and they appeared in Dusseldorf on Sept. 6, where they are marking a year to go until the next Invictus Games are held in the German city.

There, the Sussexes’ body language was very telling, according to expert Darren Stanton—and we saw some of the duke’s signature sense of humor shine through as he engaged with one of the projects closest to his heart. (He founded the Invictus Games in 2014, and every year they see injured and sick servicemen and women compete in a series of adaptive sporting events.)

“Harry was his impassioned self when he was speaking to the media and the audience during his speech about the Invictus Games,” Stanton tells Marie Claire on behalf of Betfair Bingo.

“As the Invictus Games are his personal project, it’s clear to see that he is deeply passionate about it and is keen to ensure it remains to be a very successful event.

“His demeanor in Dusseldorf was very different compared to the previous day when he was accompanying Meghan as she gave a speech at the One Young World summit in Manchester. While accompanying her, his persona was more muted as he took a backseat."

But according to Stanton, it took the duke a little while to find his stride when arriving in Dusseldorf with his wife.

“As Harry and Meghan arrived in Dusseldorf yesterday to greet the crowds, we had a number of telling gestures from Prince Harry that suggested he started off not entirely confident,” Stanton continues.

“Namely, he played with his ring finger which is a self-reassurance gesture in what may have been a nerve-wracking appearance to begin with.

“Later on in the day, he gave two separate speeches while appearing solo—it’s always very intriguing to see just how different Prince Harry is when he’s on his own. His body language is open and passionate and he stands symmetrically. He is also very animated with his hands and his voice tone is a consistent level and his face does not flush up or go red.”

Of course, the royal has always been very charming, something that tends to afford him the public’s affection—and this was certainly the case in Germany.

“On Tuesday, Harry’s initial speech at the smaller reception in Dusseldorf saw him deliver the introduction in German and then he had some laughter and banter with the audience over his pronunciation,” Stanton observes.

“It’s clear that Prince Harry is still a charismatic man with a great sense of humor and sense of fun. However, he really comes into his own when appearing alone at engagements as seen through his open body language as he engaged playfully with the assembled crowd, demonstrating his confidence in that environment.”

As for Markle, after delivering a flawless power suit moment in Manchester, she struck again with a lesson in mid-season dressing, wearing a white halterneck top by Anine Bing paired with beige belted wide-legged pants by Brandon Maxwell. She wore her hair up in a low messy bun and accessorized with some understated pearl earrings. I don’t have my ears pierced and am running to rectify that.