They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and apparently so does body language. Experts who have studied human behavior are able to interpret what certain gestures mean, and there's a lot to be learned about a person this way.
More recently, there's been a focus on the way the newly-engaged Prince Harry and Meghan Markle interact with each other whenever they're spotted in public.
Although there is no doubt that the couple, who have been together for over a year, are madly in love with each other, experts are convinced there's a lot more we can uncover about their relationship by looking at their body language.
When the news of their engagement first broke, body language experts began to compare how the younger Prince and his actress fiancee with William and Kate.
It was revealed that Harry and Meghan are comfortable with each other as proven by how closely they sat together during their first interview. They held hands for almost the entire interview, which was interpreted as a sign of reassurance during a stressful time, like a royal engagement and the media frenzy surrounding them.
The couple looked at each other longingly and maintained long, steady eye contact, a gesture which suggests they're very honest with each other.
The Kensington Palace recently shared Harry and Meghan's new official engagement photos, and experts are once again decoding what their poses say about them as a couple.
While it's very clear that the couple are a lot more glamorous than Will and Kate, they're also a lot more comfortable with "being openly romantic," according to Traci Brown, body language expert and author of Persuasion Point: Body Language and Speech for Influence.
The palace shared three photos in total, each one revealing something we never knew about the couple.
Brown believes that Meghan has a "need for connection" which is why she is often seen holding onto Harry's arms and hands, but she says that "this isn't a bad thing."
"If it's too clingy, so be it "” Harry doesn't seem to mind!" Brown adds.
The placement of Meghan's left hand in the first photo also suggests that Meghan could be the dominant partner in the relationship, or maybe she was simply instructed by the photographer to position it over Harry's.
Blanca Cobb, a North Carolina-based body language expert, also shared some of her analysis. She believes that the way Prince Harry's legs are positioned means he "uses his legs as a shield around his lady and sends a silent message that he'll protect her from the world."
In the second photo, the couple didn't hold back from displaying more intimacy than ever before. Just one look at it and you definitely feel the love they have for each other.
"Meghan is touching Prince Harry's chin, which signifies an emotional closeness that you'd expect between lovers," Cobb explains. "With their eyes closed, they're blocking out the world and enjoying their special moment," she adds.
As for the final photo, which was released "as a way to say thank you" to their well-wishers, the couple appear a lot more candid, but it still packs a lot of significance.
"By holding his arm and having interlacing fingers, Meghan is seizing the opportunity to draw Prince Harry closer to her," Cobb says. She even argues that Prince Harry's lean means something important. "By leaning toward Meghan as they walk, Prince Harry is silently saying that she's his support," Cobb adds.
As mentioned earlier, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle couldn't be more different from Will and Kate as a couple, in public that is. While Harry's older brother and his wife are a lot more guarded about public displays of affection, the younger couple aren't afraid to be vulnerable and let their love for one another show every chance they get.
Regardless of what their body languages say, one thing is for sure - both couple's are adorable and very much in love.
[H/T: Goodhousekeeping]
