• Home
  • Mail
  • Flickr
  • Tumblr
  • News
  • Sports
  • Finance
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Answers
  • Groups
  • More
Yahoo
    • Skip to Navigation
    • Skip to Main Content
    • Skip to Related Content
    Lifestyle Home
    Follow Us
    • Style
    • Beauty
    • Wellness
    • Pop Culture
    • News
    • Horoscope
    • Video
    • Polyvore

    The Difference Between How Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton Have Their Photos Taken

    Catriona Harvey-Jenner
    Good HousekeepingJanuary 23, 2018
    Reblog
    Share
    Tweet
    Share
    Photo credit: Getty
    View photos
    Photo credit: Getty

    From Good Housekeeping

    Having your photograph taken regularly is part and parcel with the job of being a royal. With so many well-wishers all over the world, photographers are keen to take pictures of members of the royal family as they conduct their official engagements (mainly so we can all note down what they're wearing, and then buy it immediately for ourselves).

    Meghan Markle has only recently started attending such events, following the announcement of her engagement to Prince Harry back in November last year. Kate Middleton, meanwhile, is now a relatively longstanding member of the royal family, having been making official appearances since February 2011, two months before she married Prince William.

    But as Meghan's official duties become increasingly frequent, we've noticed a big difference between how she and the Duchess of Cambridge have their photographs taken. Kate, you'll come to notice, never looks directly at the camera.

    Photo credit: Getty
    View photos
    Photo credit: Getty

    She always averts her gaze.

    Photo credit: Getty
    View photos
    Photo credit: Getty

    Meghan, on the other hand, often looks right down the lens.

    Photo credit: Getty
    View photos
    Photo credit: Getty

    With just four official royal engagements under her belt, there are already several snaps of her direct gaze.

    Photo credit: Getty
    View photos
    Photo credit: Getty

    But what does the difference in behaviour mean? We asked body language expert and author of The Body Language Bible, Judi James, why she thinks the two royal women's paparazzi approaches differ so much, and what it says about them.

    "Although Meghan is the same age as Kate, there is a virtual generational difference in their relationships with the camera," says Judi. "Like many young women of the selfie generation, Meghan's habit of doing what is called 'camera courting' (addressing the camera with a direct eye gaze), suggests a desire to communicate openly and confidently in the way that her peers would do via social media and blogs."

    This, James notes, is "the same trait she showed during her engagement interview and press call, when she seemed to not only take the lead in terms of choreographing the body language but she also spoke more readily and eloquently than previous royal brides-to-be."

    Photo credit: Getty
    View photos
    Photo credit: Getty

    But while you might imagine this "camera courting" is something Meghan learnt from her previous job as an actress, James says it's not. "Actors spend their careers avoiding looking straight into camera," the body language expert explains. "A TV actor like Meghan would behave more like Kate, allowing the camera to court her. If she did accidentally glance into the lens during filming, the whole scene would have to be re-shot as the invisible wall between the actor and their audience would have been breached."

    "There is a moment in an actor's life when they do have to court the cameras directly as Meghan does, and that is during red carpet appearances," says James. "This is the one occasion when an actor will learn to pick out the cameras in the crowds and engage it with prolonged bouts of direct eye contact to get the shot. It could be that this red carpet technique is the one Meghan is mimicking when she works the crowds with Harry."

    So that's why James believes Meghan engages with the camera in the way she does, but what about Kate?

    "Kate's relationship with the cameras is much more passive," notes James. "The fact she has even got behind the camera herself to snap some of her children's' official photos suggests a slightly more introverted personality than the very camera-confident Meghan.

    "William has always seemed keen to keep the full glare of the press spotlight away from his wife and her lack of direct contact could be a symptom of that. She poses beautifully but there is no regular direct communication from her," James continues.

    Photo credit: Getty
    View photos
    Photo credit: Getty

    "Kate has sustained an incredible record for not showing emotional leakage in public. She always smiles perfectly and she always looks positive. There have been no moments when she has been caught by the camera looking moody or unwell or irritable and when we look straight into the camera we instantly give away more about ourselves and our feelings via our eyes."

    Photo credit: Getty
    View photos
    Photo credit: Getty

    While James notes that Meghan's technique of engaging directly with the camera can be "more risky" if you're having a bad day, she also believes it will make her seem "more accessible" to the public. "By opening up to enable us to read her more directly she should feel more like a friend to royal fans than a remote princess," the expert explains.

    It'll be interesting to see how, if at all, Meghan's approach to picture taking evolves through the years.

    You Might Also Like

    • 26 huge Coronation Street storylines to come in 2018, from Carla's secret to Phelan's comeuppance
    • 14 huge Neighbours storylines to come in 2018, from Paige's exit to Izzy's return
    • 18 returning TV shows that you just can't miss in 2018
    Reblog
    Share
    Tweet
    Share
    Polyvore

    What to Read Next

    • How this Midwestern mom ended up married to an ISIS sniper

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Passenger Next to Woman Sucked Out of Southwest Plane Speaks Out: 'I Wrapped My Arm Around Her'

      People
    • Jenna Dewan is getting shamed for posting underwear campaign pics after split from Channing Tatum

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • New Details About The $10 Million Dollar Contract Kris Jenner Reportedly Made Tristan Thompson Sign So He Doesn't Cheat On Khloe Again

      YourTango
    • I Thought Losing 70 Pounds Would Bring Me Joy. I Was Wrong.

      HuffPost
    • Video Shows Memphis 7-Year-Old Dragged Off School Bus By His Feet

      HuffPost
    • This woman says she stopped aging when she was 20 years old

      Yahoo Canada Style
    • Melania Trump's Christian Louboutin stilettos stole the show at Mar-a-Lago dinner

      AOL.com
    • See the evolution of the prom dress from the 1940s to the 2000s

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • American history is rife with discrimination against black hair — and not much has changed

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • 'I am not ready to give up this country without a fight': Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza on the future of America

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Jenna Dewan Just Removed Channing Tatum’s Name From Her Instagram, And More News

      Marie Claire Videos
    • 'It's about time': Sen. Tammy Duckworth makes history by bringing her newborn child onto the Senate floor

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Charles to Succeed Queen as Head of Commonwealth

      Town & Country
    • This Is What a Woman Under Pressure Sounds Like: Actual Audio of 'Nerves of Steel' Pilot Tammie Jo Shults Landing Southwest Flight 1380

      Glamour
    • Carrie Underwood revealed the specific reason she fell, and it's scarily relatable

      Hello Giggles

    Students walk out of class to demand tighter U.S. gun laws

    Chili Pepper: Today is the day that I would have an exam worth 30% of the final grade- and no unexcused absences (without doctors note) could "make it up".

    Join the Conversation
    1 / 5

    2.5k

    • Donald Trump Will Skip Barbara Bush's Funeral and Send Wife Melania to 'Avoid Disruptions'

      People
    • Kylie Jenner Gave Fans a Preview Kourt x Kylie

      Marie Claire
    • 'Days of Our Lives' episode sparks backlash about mental disorders and sexual consent

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Meghan Markle channels Jackie O in $375 Black Halo dress

      AOL.com
    • Kim Kardashian Announces All DASH Stores Are Closing, Marking the End of an Era

      W
    • Cardi B Explains Exactly How She Got Pregnant, on The Ellen DeGeneres Show

      W
    • The Kardashians Are Closing All DASH Stores

      Teen Vogue
    • Stormy Daniels wears American flag and 'bares all' on new magazine cover

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Khloé Kardashian and Tristan Thompson's seemingly "united front" on Instagram isn't the whole truth, according to reports

      Hello Giggles
    • Tim McGraw and Faith Hill Swimsuit Photo

      Delish
    • Cartoonist pays emotional tribute to Barbara Bush and her daughter who died at age 3

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Princess Eugenie’s style is causing royal family controversy

      Lifestyle News
    • Cat Finds New Home After Walking 12 Miles Back To Owners Who Rejected Him

      HuffPost
    • McKayla Maroney says Larry Nassar manipulated her with food

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    • Amy Schumer shared a text Jennifer Lawrence sent her, and it's basically every BFF meme on Instagram

      Hello Giggles
    • The internet is obsessed with Nikki Haley's response to being called 'confused' by a man

      Yahoo Lifestyle
    Polyvore