This Is What Prince Harry’s Unusual Hand Gesture Could Secretly Mean

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When Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle announced their engagement, everyone’s eyes were on Meghan’s diamond ring. So it’s no surprise that a significantly smaller amount of attention has been paid to Prince Harry’s own hand. But, as eagle-eyed enthusiasts have pointed out, he took an unusual pose in the photographs with his new fiancée.

Many of the photos show the Prince with his hand placed over his belly. While the gesture is a bit odd, it isn’t the first time his quirk has made an appearance. Harry has taken this pose in the past as he attended movie premieres and greeted the first lady, too. What gives?

According to Traci Brown, body language expert and author of Persuasion Point: Body Language and Speech Influence, this little habit may be a type of coping mechanism. “He’s covering his solar plexus area (the vital organs) and protecting it which just says he’s not quite comfortable in the situation,” Brown told Good Housekeeping. “Who would be with all those photographers around and people like myself analyzing him?”

Put another way, Harry might be taking this position to comfort himself, indicating that he might feel a bit self-conscious in the spotlight.

Other experts agree with Brown’s assessment. “Prince Harry’s arm placed across his abdomen serves as a barrier to separate or distance himself from something that he makes him uncomfortable,” Blanca Cobb, body language expert and author of Method of the Masters, told Good Housekeeping. “In this case, it could be having photos taken.”

Considering Harry is often spotted making this gesture, odds are he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it. And that’s not the only secret you might be surprised to learn about the prince. Turns out, Harry isn’t even his real name.

[Source: Good Housekeeping]