Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have come under a lot of flak of late for leading wholly separate public lives these past few months, so the couple’s new Netflix series has arrived at the perfect time. Still, diehards of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may be disappointed to know that, although a five-part show produced by the pair suggests a full meal of Harry and Meghan content, they are still getting fed crumbs.
POLO does just what it says on the tin and focuses on the swanky high-society sport, showcasing a bunch of the world’s most talented polo players as they prepare for the U.S. Open. The downside of this is that Harry and Meghan themselves hardly feature. The duke himself appears for all of five seconds in the opening episode and it takes until the final installment for Meghan to turn up.
That said, it’s nevertheless worth the watch for Megfhans (that’s not what they call themselves, I just made that up), as the duchess makes sure to remind you during her brief appearance who the real royal in the room is.
Meghan “commands respect” as she makes a “royal visit” on Prince Harry’s new Netflix series
While speaking to Express, body expert Judi James broke down the hidden significance of Harry and Meghan’s behavior during their appearance together in POLO episode 5.
Although Meghan is credited as an executive producer on the show, she only appears in the flesh in its finale. The last episode documents a charity match hosted by the Sussexes’ own charity, Sentebale. As Harry got to play as part of Sentebale’s team, Meghan is shown checking in on her husband and meeting with the players.
According to James, it’s the way Meghan’s moment is framed that gives the impression she’s making a “royal visit,” with her regal — if friendly — bearing contrasting with the “macho” sportsman body language that Harry adopts around his polo pals.
“Meghan’s presence provides the royal effect as she steps in to be introduced to a player and Harry steps back to chuckle at the sight of the player bending his head and offering a handshake and a giggle,” James explains. “Meghan turns the shake into a hug and both Harry and the play giggle and chuckle like schoolboys.”
As per James’ interpretation, Meghan displays a “command” during her time on screen, in both the sequence where she meets the team and also another in which she gets to award Harry, who was in a cheeky mood at the time, a medal.
“Meghan is seen chatting as though on a royal visit and it’s Meghan extending a hand to touch her husband to invite him into the conversation,” James continues. “She also commands looks of respect and she walks across the stage to give Harry his trophy and he goes into playful mode, pointing to his chest as though to ask ‘Me?'”
She concluded, “He clearly loves making his wife laugh but steps out of macho-player mode to do so, kissing her quickly and showing strong signals of pride here.”
In other words, anyone watching POLO hoping for signs of trouble in paradise for Harry and Meghan will be disappointed. Ironically, the divorce rumors are already switching over to William and Kate after the cold shoulder the princess gave Harry’s big bro at a recent event. It looks like, in this case, the final score is Harry & Meg – 1/Wills & Kate – O… And, yes, that is how points work in polo.