Meghan Markle faced a shocking rejection after
reaching out to hold Prince Harry's hand during
Young Leaders Reception at Buckingham Palace,
as the Duke of Sussex quickly moved his hand
away, avoiding the Duchess' attempt to publicly
display her affection.
The awkward video shows the newlyweds strolling
behind the Queen, when Meghan slid her hand
down to her side, glancing at Harry as she
tried to reach out for his hand.
The Duke abruptly rejected her attempt, keeping
his hands infront of his body and fiddling
with his tie, while Meghan awkwardly tucked
her hair behind her ear.
Typically royals do not indulge in public
displays of affection, particularly in the
Queen's presence.
However in the lead up to their Royal Wedding,
Meghan and Harry have been known to show affectionate
public gestures, attracting remarks from body
language experts.
Body language expert Robin Kermode said: "The
Queen rarely holds hands with her husband
in public and this seems to have set an unwritten
precedent for the other royals.
"It is very clear that William and Kate are
emotionally close, however, they do not seem
to feel the need to prove their love—particularly
when on official state business."
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are rarely
seen holding hands or displaying affection
in public.
Speaking on Kate and William's lack of Public
displays of affection, royal etiquette expert
Myka Meier said: "There is no actual etiquette
or royal protocol that says the couple must
refrain from Public displays of affection.
"The likely reasoning is more that while traveling
on a tour such as the India trip, technically
the couple are working representatives of
British Monarchy.
"The couple are likely to show very little
Public displays of affection, if any, to remain
professional during their designated roles
abroad."
Meghan and Harry are set to make an appearance
a major exhibition on the life of Nelson Mandela
at the Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth
Hall on the July 17, following their two-day
visit to Dublin on July 10 and 11.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will tour the
exhibition, which traces Mandela's career
throughout the years, making it the first
time the exhibit will shown in the UK.
