Prince Harry's Body Language During The Oprah Interview Says A Lot
A lot of things were said and bombs were dropped in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's interview with Oprah Winfrey, but sometimes it's the things that aren't said that speak louder than anything. In fact, there were two key topics of conversation that human behavior and body language expert Mark Bowden noticed would spark reactions from Harry. One of which was the racism that the couple felt. Bowden noticed that Harry would show "disgust when talking about how the media viewed and reported [their] mixed race relationship."
Harry confessed that his "biggest concern was history repeating itself" in regards to Meghan being treated the same way his mother, the late Princess Diana, was by the press (via E!). It took "living in her shoes" to see how far the media would take the racism (via Pop Culture). Bowden noticed that while Harry was "very controlled" during most of the interview, he would get "animated around racism."
There was even a major moment when Meghan revealed that there was a discussion about their son's skin color, and the palace having "concerns" over it (via Page Six). When Oprah brought that topic back up when Harry sat down with the two, there was a moment of "acknowledgment of the negative conversation" after Harry blinked. However, he did not feel comfortable revealing what was said, and Bowden noticed his eyes went down for an "internal dialogue" prior to saying no, which proves "the conversation certainly happened."
Prince Harry would react at the mention of his father, Prince Charles
The other thing that would stir a reaction in Prince Harry was the mention of his father, Prince Charles. Since leaving the royal family, Harry has not been close with his father since he "stopped taking [his] calls" (via Us Weekly). When Oprah pressed him on this, he explained it was "because I took matters into my own hands," adding, "It was like I need to do this for my family. This is not a surprise to anybody; it's really sad that it's got to this point, but I've got to do something for my own mental health, for my wife's, because I could see where this is headed" (via Elle).
He was also painfully reminded of his mother, Princess Diana's tragically short life as a member of the Royal Family.
"When I'm talking about history repeating itself, I'm talking about my mother," he said. "When you can see something happening in the same kind of way ... to receive no help at all and to be told continuously this is how it is, this is just how it is" (via Elle).
This is one reason Harry felt so incredibly "let down" by his father. Bowden noticed that Harry's voice cracked when talking about him, who's "been through something similar" and should know what the "pain feels like." Bowden, a panelist on The Behavior Panel, also noticed that Harry's foot would raise at the mention of his father.
Prince Harry is still incredibly close with his grandmother
However hurt Prince Harry feels, the former royal also has "huge compassion" for both his father and brother (via People). Bowden even noticed that Harry would fiddle with his ring in the interview the same way his father does. Harry talked about feeling "trapped" in the royal family, and he knows that "they don't get to leave" like him. He explained that despite the lack of support from his family, he still is attempting to rekindle the relationship with his father and his brother, Prince William, both of whom he says he still loves deeply. Bowden noticed "disdain shows in his face" for the way in which he believes his father and brother are "trapped" within the confines of their family.
But when it comes to his relationship with his grandmother, Prince Harry feels closer to her than ever before and has "too much respect for her" to blindside her or treat her poorly. "My grandmother and I have a really good relationship, and an understanding. And I have a deep respect for her. She's my colonel in chief, right? She always will be."