Body Language Expert Reveals the Exact Moment Prince Harry Became Meghan Markle’s ‘Spare’

The word 'Spare' has been a defining feature of Prince Harry's life since the day he was born. Harry, who was destined to always live life in brother Prince William's shadow, deeply hated the term. It is hence interesting to note that the Duke has now grown to be his wife Meghan Markle's 'spare'. Body language expert Judi James revealed the exact moment Harry went from being Markle's partner to her 'spare'. According to James, the moment came as the couple was featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 2021. In contrast to Markle, Harry's body language and posture in the photo were noticeably more modest and submissive.

As reported by the Daily Express, in an interview, James said, "Their cover of Time Magazine seems to provide a perfect illustration of their status fluctuations and a powerhouse moment when Harry was quite openly (and presumably compliantly) posing as Meghan’s ‘Spare.’" As reported by The US Sun, she added, “The power signals on this Time magazine cover shot are only marginally less surprising than Harry’s relaxed and agreeable approach to being posed looking like a ‘plus one.’ It’s been described as a pose that is reminiscent of a hairdresser showing off his handiwork to the camera, with the celebrity client being the star.”

James noted that Markle commanded nearly two-thirds of the space in the picture, her white outfit overshadowing Harry’s simple black attire. She said, “Meghan’s legs are splayed in a power pose while Harry seems to have one leg gone AWOL. Meghan’s hair is also fanned out, with ‘big hair’ being associated with power and strength, and the upturned V gap under her armpits signals confidence.” Meanwhile, she argued that Harry looked awkward as he leaned into the frame with his hand positioned uncomfortably on Markle's shoulder.

James added, “Harry grew up as the royal spare, but he still basked in his royal status as a prince, as well as enjoying high levels of public popularity, and that would have led him to expect to be the centre of attention in any room without any need to flex rank.” She explained that Harry taking a backseat with Markle may also have something to do with his wife having more experience in front of a camera as a former actress.

James wasn't the only one to think so of the TIME cover. However, Dilys Ng, TIME's picture editor, who made the final decision on the picture, argued that the positioning was meant to portray the Sussexes as equal partners, as reported by the Daily Mail. A similar incident occurred during the royal couple's first TV interview when Markle looked visibly more dominant, with her arm extending across her fiancé and Harry following her lead.