02 February 2023 , 10:21
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Prince Harry ‘unconsciously holds Meghan Markle's hand back’, an expert has claimed.
It has previously been revealed that the royal couple's hand-holding is a genuine display of affection, and not for the cameras, with experts saying that this is "clearly an important gesture for Meghan".
Now, a royal expert has suggested that The Duke of Sussex “unconsciously" holds his wife's hand back, as the way he places his over hers says a lot about their power dynamic, report the Express.
Speaking to Sunrise, body language expert Louise Mahler looked back at the time Meghan and Harry held hands while walking out of the Palace of Westminster following Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin transfer from Buckingham Palace in September 2022.
The expert has questioned whether Harry's 'need to' hold Meghan is 'unconscious' (Getty Images)
The couple's hand holding can also 'indicate a high level of intimacy' (Getty Images)She noted that the Duke of Duchess walked together and linked hands, while all the other senior royals walked further away from each other.
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But they were not the only couple holding hands.
Mike Tindall and Harry's cousin, Zara, were also physically connected as they walked out.
Rewatching the moment, Louise said: “It was totally incongruent with everyone else for their distancing and their placement.
“I would’ve thought people don’t hold hands in a situation like that, and for them to come together, alter the spacing, hold hands is strange.”
She then took a closer look at how Harry and Meghan held thier hands, suggesting that: “Harry is again, putting his hand over the top of Meghan’s.
“I’m questioning whether Harry as an unconscious need to hold her back in some way, I’ve always thought it was protection, but the fact it never alters says to me maybe he’s holding her back.
“She is beside him and I’ve even seen when she [Meghan] is first through - she shoots through all the time - so it’s protection, again she’s a little bit in front of him, it’s unusual.”
Meghan and Harry's hand holding has been revealed to be a genuine display of affection (Getty Images)And experts at Marriage.com explain that it is not unusual for couples to connect during an emotionally difficult time, saying "couples holding hands are often tied to the intensity of the emotional connection they share and the bond that exists between them".
“Touch is one of our most important senses, and it is in our biology to feel an increase in pleasure and decrease in anxiety and stress when touching another person,” they added.
It has also been noted that the Duke and Duchesses ‘down-facing palm’ way to hold hands is important in showing the world how they operate as a couple.
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Experts say this hand-hold “can tell us more about the power dynamic in the relationships”, with the person “whose hand is on top [palm facing down] is the more dominant one”.
Research also suggests this hand-hold technique has a lot to do with sex differences since a man’s hand is significantly larger and therefore does the ‘holding’. It is also particularly evident if there is a height difference.
Meghan and Harry also holding hands in the way they interlock their fingers together “can indicate a high level of intimacy and a caring relationship”.
Louise added: “Intertwined fingers can signal the couple is comfortable and ready to be vulnerable…it can [also] speak to the level of attachment they share and need for one another.”
Meghan and Harry regularly hold hands compared to Prince William and Princess Kate, for example.