Meghan Markle Radiated \201cExcitement and Energy\201d Last Night Onstage with Prince Harry

A body language expert says that Meghan Markle wanted to show the closeness between herself and her husband, Prince Harry, as both appeared onstage for a rare joint speech at an Invictus Games event last night, per The Daily Mail.

Meghan touched down in Dusseldorf, Germany—where the sixth iteration of the Games, founded in 2014, are being held—late yesterday afternoon and did her own hair and makeup before getting onstage alongside Harry just a couple of hours after her arrival in the city. Last night’s event was a private event for Invictus Games competitors and their families and friends and, body language expert Judi James said, her mannerisms suggested “excitement and energy.” During her off-the-cuff speech, Meghan mentioned that she was a few days late to the Games, which kicked off last Saturday, because she was in Montecito, California—where she and her family now call home—looking after her two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

“Meghan walked onstage alone and seemed surprised to find Harry wasn’t behind or beside her,” James said of Meghan’s appearance onstage last night. “A small hair preen suggested she needed him there, and she looked back to seek him out, suggesting it was important to her that they appear side-by-side together. When Harry did join her, it was Meghan stepping to stand close beside him, linking her hand into his arm in a gesture of attachment and fondness while he performed a solo gesture by rubbing his hands and grinning at the audience. After talking about their ‘little ones’ and after Harry’s beam of pride in response, he steps away from Meghan slightly, performing a small cough. Meghan subtly steps sideways towards him, though, again showing a desire for established, continual closeness. She adopts a mirrored pose with one leg out to signal like-mindedness, too.”

James continued “The Duchess also references ‘my husband’ with affection, putting a hand out towards Harry in a loving reference. When Meghan finishes her speech, she literally hands over to Harry, throwing both hands out to signal it’s his turn to speak. Meghan moves in closer to Harry as he speaks, performing a face-gaze that looks flattering and adoring.”

An aide said Meghan did her own hair and makeup inside her Dusseldorf hotel room in about an hour, per The Daily Mail. The outlet also reported that Meghan’s usual makeup artist, Daniel Martin, was celebrating his anniversary with husband Randall Stattler in Mexico so was unavailable; her go-to hair stylist, George Northwood, appeared to be working with Alexa Chung at the opening of the Vogue World Newsstand at Selfridges London, so was also not onsite. “While a working member of the royal family, Meghan would often do her own hair and makeup,” the outlet reports. A source told Us Weekly back in 2019—before the couple’s step back from being working members of the royal family in January 2020—“She just likes doing her own makeup. Meghan has her makeup done for some special occasions but likes to do it herself.”

The Daily Express cited fans as impressed with Meghan’s “straight to work” attitude after a long day of travel, which began at 6 p.m. California time on Monday, September 11, when she arrived at LAX. After a brief 90-minute layover at London’s Heathrow Airport, Meghan flew into Dusseldorf, arriving at the hotel around 4:40 p.m. Tuesday, September 12. Within a couple of hours, she had done her own hair and makeup and was onstage addressing some 1,600 guests at the reception, which lasted two hours. Then today, Meghan was at competition alongside Harry. “Massive respect to Meghan,” one fan wrote, per The Daily Express. “12-13 hour flight from LA, with a change in London. One hour after arrival @WeAreInvictus she is changed and looking fabulous.” Another added “She is such a team player because I would have been dead on my feet after that long flight and then attending a reception that same evening.”