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Meghan Markle embodied the Royal Family’s regal demeanor during her recent Drew Barrymore show appearance. The episode, set to air on Thursday, captured awkward moments between the women. The Duchess of Sussex appeared “emotionally distant” while sharing a hug with the “clingy” talk show host.
Body language expert Judi James shared her thoughts on why Meghan reacted stiffly to Barrymore’s warmth. “This is a rare pose from Meghan, who is normally the first one to move in with the hugs,” she explained. James suspected the former actress’s role within the Royal Family was reversed during her meeting with Barrymore.
James noted Meghan’s warm reaction to the royals was met “with a tsunami of ice water.” While their alleged coldness broke her heart, it seemed to have instilled in her the regal demeanor she adopted with Barrymore. As for why, the body language expert told The Daily Mail, “She has clearly met her match in Drew.”
Meghan Markle Opts for ‘Regal-Looking Pose’ With Drew Barrymore
James theorized that when two women known for hugging were placed together, one would back out. In this case, Meghan chose to embody her role as the Duchess of Sussex and leave the warm hugs to Barrymore. In the body language expert’s words:
“Meghan adopts a straight, polite, more regal-looking pose here, perhaps mirroring the kind of response she met with from the UK royals when she was busy hugging them.”
James continued dissecting Meghan’s distant pose, noting she opted to keep her hand in her pocket instead of reciprocating Barrymore’s affection. Additionally, she flashed the camera a “wide social smile” and kept her head straight despite the host leaning on her.
Drew Barrymore Labeled ‘Clingy’ for Her Interactions With Meghan Markle
While Meghan chose distance, Barrymore “clings relentlessly though, curling her arms around Meghan’s waist in a partial koala embrace.” The Santa Clarita Diet star tilted her head to rest on Meghan’s hair while smiling lovingly at the camera. The TV personality’s efforts to bond with the duchess didn’t end there, as more pictures captured her invading the latter’s space
While seated on the show’s couch, Barrymore leaned towards a wary-looking Meghan. James noted the media personality’s demeanor suggested she wasn’t “totally open to any touching or hugging.” She believed the duchess tried to keep her distance from the host with a “polite but firm restraining gesture.”
Meghan’s lack of warmth towards Barrymore comes days after she clarified her preferred moniker. We covered the story, reporting the duchess corrected Mindy Kaling about her name on her new Netflix show. The episode of With Love Meghan captured Kaling repeatedly saying “Meghan Markle” until the former actress stopped her, stressing:
“It’s so funny, too, that you keep saying Meghan Markle. You know I’m Sussex now.”
Meghan explained that she adored the Sussex name because it was the moniker she shared with her family. The TV personality became the Duchess of Sussex after tying the knot to Prince Harry in 2018. Their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, gained the Sussex name after Queen Elizabeth’s passing in 2022.
Could Meghan Markle’s love for her Sussex title be behind her “emotionally distant” reaction to Drew Barrymore?
