Meghan's 'dominance' at Invictus exposes changing dynamic with Prince Harry

11 September 2023 , 14:51

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Meghan Markle is due to touchdown in Germany today for the 2023 Invictus Games (Image: Getty Images)

Meghan Markle's "dominance" at the Invictus Games last year reveals a changing dynamic between her and her husband Prince Harry, an expert has claimed.

As the Duchess of Sussex makes her way to Germany to join her husband for the 2023 Invictus Games, the entire world are excited to see the couple joining forces for this very special event. The sporting event, which Harry set up back in 2014 helps injured and sick military veterans, and is hosted the Duke of Sussex.

When the Duke hosted the opening ceremony on Friday, many people were disappointed that his wife was nowhere to be seen, but fans can now rejoice because in a matter of hours she'll be touching down in Dusseldorf and all eyes will be on her once again.

Meghan is due to touch down in Dusseldorf today (Getty Images)

But this won't be Meghan's first time attending the Invictus Games, because she has been on three separate occasions before. Meghan famously attended in 2017 before she married Prince Harry, with the couple looking oh-so-smitten in the honeymoon phase of their relationship.

They then went again in 2018 after getting hitched, with them beaming at every moment of the Games, and then a third and final time last year for the belated 2020 games. But what do all of their appearances say about them as a couple? Well, a body language expert has analysed photos from each time they attended, and the results are very telling.

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2017 Invictus Games — the flirty era

The couple were very flirty when Meghan first attended the Invictus Games (WireImage)

In 2017, Harry was "fully immersed in show-off mode", according to body language expert Judi James. She noted that he was "showing off his stunning new girlfriend to the world and showing his world of Invictus off to her".

Judi noted how Harry’s power signals are pronounced, and despite some goofy grins "that showed he is soppily in love", his chest and leg splaying "is a feature of alpha behaviour". She went on to add how Meghan clearly liked his masculine display while she sat in a more "self-diminished pose with her legs crossed and her arms crossed over her thighs to suggest she’s suitably impressed".

Not only was Meghan impressed by Harry's "alpha behavior", but she was fixated on her now-husband "a flattering flirt ritual that lets him know he’s in charge". Judi added: "The couple sit close and lean in together to make them look united and very exclusive. This body language made them look intimate rather than social despite the public event." She concluded by noting how their "touch rituals" probed their "obsession with each other".

2018 Invictus Games — the Royal power couple

Five months after getting hitched, Meghan and Harry looked smitten in Sydney at the Games (Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)

The couple beamed as they wandered around Sydney during the Games (Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)

Five months after the couple got married in St George's Chapel, Windsor, the newlyweds presented as a "Royal power couple" while at the 2018 Games. With shared interests, roles, and responsibilities the couple were entirely united as they wowed the crowds.

Judi noted how Harry was still taking on the role of induction, with him pointing things out to Meghan "as though training her for royal life". Her gaze was focused, which suggests she was a "happy, keen pupil" at the time.

"Their body language still shows all the attachment rituals like hand-holding, back-touches and arm-hugging now but their torsos are now creating less exclusive and more sociable poses where they both greet the fans with a matching approach," Judi added.

She concluded by noting how their head-closeness and "mirrored smiles suggest like-minded thinking and a sense of optimism about their now dual roles here".

Invictus Games 2020 — dominant Duchess

The 2020 Games took place in 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic (Getty Images)

The 2020 Invictus Games took place in 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic, and after a couple of years spent in Montecito, California and away from the Royal family, there was a "complete change of body language dynamic".

Judi James told us: "Meghan is no longer that free-wheeling, confident, relaxed woman on a date with a man who is showing her around his world, she now looks more dominant and protective of Harry. The hand on the thigh is a possessive-looking gesture that is also a sexual signal but it implies a sense of support and protection too."

The couple kissed while on-stage last April during the Opening Ceremony (Getty Images)

She went on to add that Meghan’s smile and her confidence suggested she is now seen as a very important part of the Invictus Family, "almost as a co-host with Harry". Talking about her introduction of Harry on stage, Judi noted how it was "dramatic, touching and stylish", with Meghan being at her "most confident" while "praising her husband".

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Judi said that the introduction was reminiscent of how a "First Lady might introduce her Presidential husband, in a declaration of love as well as support". She concluded: "That fond eye contact and smiling kiss as they exchanged the mic signal Meghan’s importance not just in Harry’s life but in the life of Invictus, too."

Mollie Quirk