Meghan Markle shows ‘irritation’ on red carpet: ‘Royals don’t get ushered’
Meghan shows ‘irritation’ on red carpet: ‘Royals don’t get ushered’
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Meghan Markle showed "irritation" on the red carpet at her recent glitzy event as "royals don't get ushered", a body language expert has claimed.
The Duchess of Sussex stepped out on Thursday evening to the Variety magazine's Power of Women gala in Los Angeles.
During her cameo on the red carpet, Meghan's assistant appeared to nudge the duchess slightly with an outstretched arm.
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The 42-year-old simply laughed and turned around to speak to the assistant, without walking along the red carpet.
WATCH NOW: Meghan Markle ushered along at Variety Gala
Judi James, a body language expert, spoke exclusively to GB News to discuss the mother-of-two's most recent outing.
She said: "Meghan is getting pretty adept at doing what is known in body language terms as ‘the Recovery’: thinking on her feet at lightning speed to turn a public slip-up, miss-step or potential loss of dignity into a face-saving change of movement to rescue her image and brand.
"There was the grab for the mic at the Kevin Costner party and the recent incident of seeming to expect to take the giant scissors or similar at the veteran’s event.
"Here though the risk actually looks greater in terms of either diminishing her status as a duchess or allowing an expression of impatience or irritation to leak out.
Meghan showed 'impatience', a body language expert claimed
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"Meghan’s moment on the red carpet here sees her seem to try to launch herself as an A-list actress rather than as a royal.
"Her poses for the camera begin with some small glances of hesitation but then, with her sideways poses and her glances over that bare shoulder, she is suddenly in the zone."
James added: "PRs can be quite firm in the way they usher celebs along to make sure the biggest names in the queue get the press time they deserve, but Meghan seems to be too much in the zone to notice the reaching hand that has gate-crashed her shots, not only ruining the camera angles she is working so hard to ensure, but also implying that a duchess can get pushed along like any other Z-list performer.
"The gesture itself tends to imply a celebrity has gone beyond their time limit and that there are bigger names waiting their turn.
Meghan posing by looking over her shoulder
Reuters
"It’s ok to be led or pulled along because that implies a star needs to get to all the press that are begging for a few words, but to be pushed or shoved along, even without actual touch, is not a good look."
The body language expert claimed: "Meghan seems to not see the outstretched hand but when she does she ignores it, backing away and continuing to graft for the cameras.
"But there is a moment of potential conflict as the assistant continues to move forward to use an ushering gesture and this is when Meghan performs her ‘recovery’.
"Holding out her own hand she clasps the assistant’s outstretched hand as though being approached by a lifelong fan or old friend.
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Meghan wearing a simple beige dress
Reuters
"She keeps hold of it, shaking it slightly as though signalling affection, before going back for a few more shots.
"Her moment of A-list stardom has been sullied by the hand creeping into shot and the implied low status of being ushered along."
James explained: "Royals don’t get ushered and this does look like a small clash of status behaviours for Meghan the duchess, versus Meghan the Suits actress.
"Her return in triumph looked compromised but she managed to style it out without looking annoyed."