Princess Anne ‘surprisingly’ had ‘instant bonding’ with Meghan Markle

Princess Anne, 72, younger sister of King Charles, is known as the hardest-working royal and for her “no-nonsense” attitude.

In 2022, she carried out 214 engagements, whereas Charles came in second place, carrying out 181 royal engagements, 33 less than his sister.

According to a body language expert, it may come as surprise to royal fans that she got along well with Meghan Markle, despite the fact she quit royal duties in 2020.

Judi James, a professional body language expert analysed the relationship between Princess Anne and the Duchess of Sussex for Express.co.uk.

According to the expert, the relationship between Anne and Meghan “hasn’t really been examined before” but that the “results are surprising.”

“Anne has no real history of embracing, mentoring or even befriending younger royal wives,” the body language expert said. “Many of her rituals with brides like Diana suggested mild forms of what looked like potential irritation.”

Per the expert, Anne did not form a close bond with her sisters-in-law, Diana and Sarah Ferguson, who were royal brides which makes her bond with former Suits actress unusual.

“Anne is a fan of stoicism and no real fan of fashion icons or celebrity fame, so a beautiful Hollywood actress with no apparent interest in horses like Meghan might not have been a first choice in terms of instant bonding and rapport,” explained Judi.

Judi argued that Anne was able to look past all these things with the Duchess.

“Meghan turned out to be a lot more than that initial profile,” she explained. “Her passion for her causes and her eloquence, plus what looks like a shared sense of humour did throw up some poses where the two women looked genuinely happy in each other’s company.”

The expert described Anne as having a “rounded-cheek, eye-narrowed smile that suggests genuine pleasure.” Meanwhile, Meghan’s body language was described as “a blend of flatteringly polite and fun-sharingly intimate.”

“Her eye contact and mirroring as they lean in together to chat shows undivided attention,” said Judi. “Meghan performs a leg splay and a small hand barrier to show both interest and a degree of polite caution.”

Moreover, her “raised brows and her open-mouth smile in the pews suggests she finds Anne genuinely good company.”