When the Queen called for goodwill between those with “most deeply held differences” in this year’s Christmas Day message maybe this wasn’t in response to global issues but what is happening in her own household.
Reports out of the UK claim that the Queen and Prince Charles ordered the apparently “feuding” duchesses Kate and Meghan to put on a happy united front as they walked together to the Royal Family’s annual Christmas church service in Sandringham on Christmas Day.
The monarchy’s elders knew that the eyes of the world would be upon the royal family during this public appearance just looking for any sign of feuding and intervened to ensure that William, Kate, Harry and Meghan all tried harder at playing happy families.
WATCH the Queen’s Christmas in full here.
Body language experts are having a field day analysing how the Fab Four interacted with each other as they walked to church in Sandringham. (Source: Getty)
Duchess Kate and Duchess Meghan are all smiles and camaraderie as the walk to church together on Christmas Day. (Source: Getty)
“The Queen and Charles have allowed the situation to play out without overtly interfering — but they both made it clear that Christmas was for the whole family to really come together,” a source told UK newspaper The Sun.
“That meant the two couples walking into church together as the Fab Four just like they had last year. Yes, it was awkward and uncomfortable given what’s gone on over the past 12 months.”
Within moments of the Cambridges and Sussexes stepping out into the cold winter morning, images of the smiling couples went viral. When Meghan was seen to put her hand gently on sister-in-law Kate’s back, social media went nuts.
Then it was “cue the body language experts” with several being quoted in the world’s media, analysing each and every step and movement and head inclination the Fab Four took.
“Kate was also clearly making a supreme effort to smile and chat to Meghan,” said one UK expert Judi James. “”Meghan clung to Harry’s arm at first. But instead of sticking beside William, Kate deliberately stepped away to walk close to her sister-in-law.”
Judi James was also quoted as saying that the couples were “trying too hard” to play at happy families.
Meanwhile another expert Patti Wood told Marie Claire that the footage of the couples walking to church proved that the feud rumours were totally ridiculous because they’re all walking in step, which is basically impossible when you’re “feuding”.
“It’s really difficult to do that if you really, really don’t like somebody or if you have a conflict with somebody. Your body goes against matching and mirroring. So that’s a really good tell,” she said.
She also cited the fact that Kate and Meghan were “looking up” as another tell that there was no feud between them. “If you feel the need to protect, and you’re trying to hide what your true emotions are, your head goes slightly down.”
What does this body language between the sisters-in-law really mean? (Source Getty)
Speculation has been rife in recent months that the two young couples are not getting along – and that now even brothers William and Harry are becoming estranged.
And while some royal watchers like to claim that this is just a feud being cooked up by the media, where there is so much smoke there must be something simmering.
In a separate story from The Sun, tension between the royal sisters-in-law reached boiling point even before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot in May after the former Suits actress was reportedly rude to one of the Cambridge’s staff members.
Then there was the story that Kate was left in tears following a tense bridesmaid dress fitting with Meghan for her daughter Princess Charlotte ahead of Meghan and Harry’s wedding.
Meghan has also been accused in media reports of driving a wedge between former besties Kate and Harry. And there were the sudden exists of three of Meghan and Harry’s royal aides since the pair got married in May.
