Prince Harry's subtle gesture hints at 'confused' feelings without Meghan
Prince Harry surprised fighter fighters in Los Angeles by paying them and their therapy dogs a visit - and one expert has decoded his body language after that scathing Vanity Fair article
Prince Harry surprised fighter fighters in Los Angeles by paying them and their therapy dogs a visit - and one expert has decoded his body language after that scathing Vanity Fair articleHarry poses with members of the Salinas Fire Department at their therapy dogs (
Image: salinasfiredepartment/Instagram)
Prince Harry hinted at "role confusion" in his latest outing without wife Meghan Markle, according to an expert.
Snaps have emerged on social media showing the Duke of Sussex visiting firefighters and their therapy dogs in the wake of the devastating wildfires that have ripped through California.
The snaps were shared by the Salinas Fire Department just days after he and Meghan were branded 'disaster tourists' for supporting victims of the wildfire, and a damning article in Vanity Fair magazine about their post-royal life. In it, sources claimed Harry was out of his depth in fame-hungry Hollywood and that he would "happily work for charities for the rest of his life and would be very happy if Meghan made all the money and he didn't need to."
The source continued: "I think he probably wants to be left alone and be able to go kiss babies every once in a while but not have to worry about money."
Prince Harry chats with one of the firefighters (
Image:
salinasfiredepartment/Instagram)
And according to body language expert Judi James, Harry's gestures on the outing without wife Meghan show his confusion about his actual status. In the pictures, Harry, dressed casually in black trousers and a black zip-up jacket, can be seen standing alongside several firefighters and the support dogs. In other photos, he can be seen tenderly stroking some of the pets.
Judi explained to the Mirror: "The visit has all the hallmarks of a royal one as it's claimed he has been there boosting morale, which is not something a normal citizen of Montecito or your average celebrity would be expected to do. He's not in celebrity mode, either, with his very understated casual clothing and his tempered smiles to the camera.
"But this image wouldn't fit the royal profile either, which would tend to be smarter dress and some more enthusiastic-looking poses for photos.
Harry strokes one of the therapy pets (
Image:
salinasfiredepartment/Instagram)
"Instead, Harry stands at the back and the end of the line for the group photo rather than posing in the middle to show full engagement. He's splayed his legs but stuffed his hands into his pockets hinting at a desire to hide.
"His thumb-jerk is a casual gesture as he chats and although he bends to let a dog sniff the back of his hand, he's created a low-key profile here, as though maybe mindful of the criticism of his and Meghan's two other most recent appearances."
This is not the first time that Harry and Meghan have seen visiting volunteers, victims, and responders to the terrifying fires that have devastated parts of LA. Earlier this month, the pair were seen hugging people and speaking to emergency crews at the Pasadena Community Centre. Harry and Meghan live in Montecito, near Santa Barbara, some 90 miles from Los Angeles. Meghan's Netflix show With Love, Meghan has been postponed until March due to the fires.
Harry and Meghan hug volunteers at a relief centre in Pasadena set up in the wake of the fires (
Image:
BBC)
However, their visit to the relief centre sparked a backlash with actress Justine Bateman slamming the couple for a "repulsive photo op" in a scathing statement on X. She added: "They are "touring the damage"? Are they politicians now? They don't live here; they are tourists. Disaster Tourists." However, a source told Page Six that Harry and Meghan feel the actress's comments were 'offensive' They explained: "It’s offensive to Meghan and Harry that anybody would think this is merely a photo opportunity."
Meanwhile, this weekend allegations in Vanity Fair about the couple sent shockwaves across the internet. In a cover article headlined 'American Hustle', the scathing piece contains more troubling claims about what it's allegedly like to work for the couple. These follow previous bullying accusations against Meghan, which she has always strenuously denied.
The article also quotes sources said to be neighbours of the couple in Montecito, who claim the pair are 'entitled' and 'disingenuous'. But according to The Times, the Sussexes have dismissed the allegations, with a source close to them describing them as 'distressing'.
Those who know Harry and Meghan also reportedly point to comments made by actress Sharon Stone when they first moved to Montecito back in 2020, who said that the couple would wave to people in the street and had become a "giving, caring, participating part of our community."
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