During a visit to Colombia, Meghan Markle reportedly attempted to assume control when Prince Harry disrupted the meticulously organized schedule, according to a body language specialist. The incident unfolded during a part-royal tour in August 2024, where the Duchess of Sussex was seen trying to steer her husband back on course after a spontaneous moment.

On the third day of their journey, the couple was in Bogotá, participating in cultural engagements at the Delia Zapata Art Centre on August 15. They were treated to performances of local theatre and dance, capturing the essence of Colombian artistry.

Amid these performances, a dancer’s costume swooped dangerously close to Prince Harry’s head, narrowly avoiding contact. This near-miss prompted Harry, 41, to break away from the planned protocol, engaging in playful banter with the dancer about the incident.

Body language analyst Judi James observed this unscripted exchange, noting how Harry adopted a jovial and lively manner. The situation warranted Meghan’s intervention, who, at 44, attempted to regain Harry’s focus by gently touching his back with an outstretched arm, as reported by The Daily Mail.

Analysing the awkward moment, body language expert Judi James noted how he then went ‘rogue and adopted his showboating fun prince demeanour’ by making lighthearted and animated conversation about the near-miss with the dancer. 

It was at this point that Meghan, 44, sought to get her husband’s attention by using an ‘outstretched arm back-touch’, Ms James told The Daily Mail. 

Yet Harry appeared to either not notice his wife’s ‘non-verbal interruption’ or may have ‘deliberately ignored’ her ‘arm-steering ritual’, she continued. 

‘This looks like a microscopic example of what happens when the “red carpet” double-act choreography goes awry and how instantly keen Meghan appears to be to get it back on track, to the point of taking the lead and being openly correctional,’ Ms James said. 

Meghan Markle (left) sought to ‘take the lead’ when a ‘rogue’ Prince Harry (right) upset her ‘carefully planned choreography’ during their quasi-royal Colombian tour in August 2024, a body language expert has claimed

Footage showed how, at one point, a dancer’s costume nearly hit Prince Harry, 41, on the head. Meghan then appeared to try and get Harry’s attention with an ‘arm-steering ritual’ (pictured)

She added that Harry’s jovial behaviour was ‘disruptive’ to Meghan’s pre-planned ‘choreography’.

‘Harry is talking and entertaining and pretty much on a roll, and Meghan’s gesture interrupts that conversation to appear to remind him where he should be going and who he needs to be meeting,’ she explained.

‘Meghan’s instinct seems to be to take the lead here and steer him back on track with a parental-looking ritual.

‘It could initially have been a nudge to Harry to include her in the new scene but, as she gets ignored, she instead walks away, using the hand to appear to try to redirect him instead.’ 

It was in this moment that Harry appeared to deviate from his usual ‘air of submission and compliance’. 

The prince’s response, or indeed lack thereof, when Meghan seeks to grab his attention via a ‘soft control gesture’ is rather ‘telling’, added Ms James.

She added: ‘As a single guy working the crowds alone pre-marriage, he would be unused to being interrupted and steered.

‘Instead of tuning into his wife during what could be a challenging royal tour, he seems to have this moment of “tuning out” that could suggest, rather than an air of submission and compliance, he enjoys the playful, disruptive child role.’

Ms James said: ‘This looks like a microscopic example of what happens when the “red carpet” double-act choreography goes awry’. She described Meghan’s behaviour as ‘openly correctional’

Meghan, 44, tried to get her husband’s attention, yet Harry appeared to either not notice his wife’s ‘non-verbal interruption’ or may have ‘deliberately ignored’ her ‘arm-steering ritual’, said Ms James 

The Duchess’s ‘instinct’ to keep her husband publicly ‘on track’ is somewhat unsurprising given her former acting career, which required her to follow a crafted script.

Acutely aware of the camera and the importance of maintaining a polished performance, Ms James noted that Meghan’s acting stint meant she will now carefully consider how best to ‘get everything right’. 

Yet while Harry’s ‘spontaneity’ was once a ‘strong and constant feature’ of his body language during his bachelor days, this has seemingly shifted since his 2018 marriage.

Despite leaving their royal duties behind, Harry and Meghan’s Colombian trip was somewhat reminiscent of a royal engagement and was even dubbed a ‘quasi-royal’ or ‘faux-royal’ tour. 

During the four-day trip, the Sussexes visited a local school and attended a summit in collaboration with their Archewell Foundation about creating a healthier digital landscape.

The pair also paid tribute to the contributions of Afro-Colombian women, leaders and entrepreneurs, and Harry participated in a game of volleyball while visiting Colombian Invictus Games athletes in Bogota.

Yet while Team Sussex hailed the trip as a ‘great triumph’, it was certainly not without controversy.

Shortly after the couple returned to Montecito, it was revealed that the trip had cost the Colombian government an eye-watering Col$244,245,305 (£44,725.14), according to figures provided by the country’s vice-president, Francia Marquez.

The Duchess’s ‘instinct’ to keep her husband publicly ‘on track’ is somewhat unsurprising given her former acting career which required her to follow a crafted script

Harry’s fun-loving  ‘spontaneity’ was once a ‘strong and constant feature’ of his body language during his bachelor days. However, since his royal wedding in 2018, this has seemingly shifted

Shortly after the couple returned back to Montecito, it was revealed that the Sussexes trip had cost the Colombian government an eye-watering total of Col$244,245,305 (£44,725.14). At the time, it was branded as ‘wasteful spending’ by Senator Maria Fernanda Cabal

Among the amounts cited was a £7,500 security cost for engagements held in San Basilio de Palenque.

Meanwhile, Meghan was also reported to have spent £90,000 on clothing and jewellery alone during the so-called ‘DIY Royal Tour’.

In reference to the vast expenditure of the trip, Senator Maria Fernanda Cabal, Ms Marquez’s political opponent, branded the quasi-royal tour as both ‘showmanship’ and ‘wasteful spending’.

The reported security costs were also said to have enraged many locals, given the country’s socio-economic problems, with a third of the population estimated to be living below the poverty line.

In response to the criticism, the Colombian vice-president’s office later confirmed that the Duke and Duchess paid for their own flights and accommodation, as well as unspecified general expenses.