Meghan Markle and her husband Prince Harry appeared to send some very mixed messages as they walked the red carpet last night.
After appealing for privacy, the former senior royals stepped out in front of the cameras at the Salute to Freedom Gala at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York.
Walking hand-in-hand into the event to honour veterans, Harry and Meghan made some bold statements with their outfits.
Harry wore a rack of four medals on his tuxedo after being stripped of the right to wear his military uniform by the Palace.
And Meghan wore an attention-grabbing red Carolina Hererra dress and matching shoes.
The dress featured a plunging neckline as well as a dramatic thigh split.
She completed her look with stunning make up and by pulling her brunette locks back into a sleek bun.
They both finished off their outfits with poppies as a sign of respect.
And while their outfits said a lot, body language expert and author Judi James says their movements spoke volumes too.
Here, she exclusively shares her thoughts with the Mirror...
Harry and Meghan’s body language here suggests a conflict of interests between radiant red carpet A-listers and ‘been there, done-it, naff-off press’ royals.
After their heartfelt pleas this week for press privacy and the damage caused by social media they perform their red carpet walk like twin galleons, all upright elegance with eyes diverted away from the cameras and their focus fixed instead on the people waiting to meet them. Their signature hand clasp is in place here, with Harry’s hand on top and pushed slightly back as though keen to protect his wife.
Meghan’s dress is a clear jaw-dropper of a show-stopper though, with its plunging neckline (complete with pinned poppy) and super-dramatic train. At the end of their appearance, with her back turned to the cameras, she appears to throw in a classic celebrity red carpet pose when she glances back over her shoulder with a rather knowing smile that includes one raised eyebrow and sideways eyes. There’s even a small hunch of the shoulder to suggest a playful moment for the fans and the press.
Harry is so focused on his chats that he even appears to tread on his wife’s train and appears unfazed as she throws him a loving smile and a couple of arm touches to warn him where the carpet ends and the dress begins.
Harry seems to be keen to usher everyone off the red carpet and into the function, going into steering or even sheepdog mode as he splays his arms and his hands out to shepherd everyone inside with what looks like an air of impatience. He even uses one hand in a part shrug to show Meghan a more upbeat-looking Meghan that they need to be getting inside.
