Meghan Markle appears defiant by Prince Harry's side at ESPYs

Meghan Markle demonstrated a noticeable shift in her usual demeanour to support Prince Harry as he received the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the ESPY Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. 

Body language expert Darren Stanton told The Mirror that Meghan made a conscious effort to step back and allow Harry to take the spotlight during the event. “Meghan was there to support Harry and you could tell she felt very happy to be there,” Stanton said.

At the ceremony, Meghan was seen posing for photographers with her husband and her friend Serena Williams, who hosted the event. 

Stanton highlighted that Meghan’s body language was different from her typical behaviour during joint engagements. 

“On some occasions, we will see signs of Meghan trying to assert her presence and take the lead. But during this event, it was all about Harry and Meghan wanted it to be that way,” he explained.

Meghan’s facial expressions conveyed genuine joy and pride for her husband, displaying subtle, authentic smiles without showing dominance. “Meghan often takes a dominant lead in the engagements she attends with Harry, but she wanted her husband to be in control,” Stanton noted.

Throughout the ceremony, Meghan leaned into Harry and gazed into his eyes, signalling her support and admiration. “Meghan wanted Harry to feel special and be the centre of attention,” Stanton said. 

This behaviour indicated that Meghan feels safe and loved in Harry’s company, with Harry reciprocating these feelings by adopting a dominant role and maintaining closeness to Meghan.