Prince Harry and Meghan Markle cover Time magazine
(Picture: TimeMagazine)Wednesday saw the release of the cover of Time magazine’s top 100 most influential people in the world issue and this year’s features Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on the cover.
However, the stance of the two royals on the cover has sparked a debate about body language. Meghan is stood further forward than Harry, who is perched on a ledge just behind her, giving them equal height, with his hand on her shoulder.
While the photo would appear completely unoffensive and harmless to most people, some have taken issue with the body language of the couple and branded the image “awkward” and “heavily airbrushed.”
On Twitter, US conservatives like Candace Owens said that the image was “pathetic” and that she wouldn’t “want my husband to be embarrassed like this in front of the world.”
I honestly cannot. The live emasculation of Prince Harry continues.
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) September 15, 2021
I would never want my husband to be embarrassed like this in front of the world.
Just so pathetic. https://t.co/vbY3GhUwme
Others have echoed similar sentiments and accused Harry of “hiding” behind Meghan.
Everybody knows that Harry is way taller than Meghan. Why the need to picture them the 'same size'?
— Jesús Enrique Rosas - The Body Language Guy (@Knesix) September 15, 2021
He's also hunched, and his visible hand is more protecting *himself* than grabbing Meghan. His left hand isn't even on her waist.
He's not protecting. He's hiding. pic.twitter.com/t65tmE7ZLv
Her shoulders are broad and out, he’s slightly leaning with his shoulder rolled and his arm up on her shoulder. As if hiding behind her, or hanging onto her. pic.twitter.com/sEG6NC37vT
— daniel (@me_is_trash_) September 15, 2021
Is it me or does Prince Harry look like a plus 1 in this photo, surely it should be equal space, it kind of looks like he’s slightly hiding behind the Missus 😂 pic.twitter.com/IgsE7uQB23
— jacquie wallis (@JacquieWallis) September 16, 2021
Why ya hiding, #princeharry? pic.twitter.com/sqlWfOoNdl
— Ginger Thompson (@GingerFNP) September 15, 2021
Time cover with Prince Harry hiding behind MeGain is hysterical!
— Roger Webster (@ao_roger) September 15, 2021
And she definitly wears the pants.
I like to thank @TIME for finding us influential... We also photoshopped this and I'm hiding behind my wife as I don't want to be here. pic.twitter.com/CCn66SmKno
— Just (Prince) Harry Markle (@JustHarryMarkle) September 15, 2021
Others don’t have quite the same issue and think the couple look absolutely stunning.
oh my goodness prince harry and meghan markle are hot pic.twitter.com/z09yWWH6H3
— ᴍʏ ғᴀɪᴛʜ ɪs ɢʀᴇᴀᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴍʏ ғᴇᴀʀ — ᴍᴇɢʜᴀɴ ᴍᴀʀᴋʟᴇ (@magalidmathias1) September 15, 2021
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex flexing for @TIME 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/3xodhd4pQS
— Stephanie. (@qsteph) September 15, 2021
Time Magazine names Prince Harry and Meghan Markle among the world’s most influential people. The couple lands a glamorous photo shoot, including the cover. pic.twitter.com/JyA5xbhayx
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) September 15, 2021
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex @TIME WINNING! 😍😍😍😍🆙. Like SERIOUSLY…These are Gorgeous Photos! Happy Birthday #PrinceHarry 🥳 pic.twitter.com/yB8gp86umU
— posh thats me! (@poshbeard) September 15, 2021
Body language expert Judi James told The Sun: “Looking more like a scene from Suits than your average royal-marries-actress couple, Harry and Meghan have adopted the ultimate City power-poses here, with most of the power signals coming from Meghan while Harry seems happy to endorse her as a wingman.”
Darren Stanton, another body language expert, told the Daily Mail that the image reminded him of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. “We see this image of Prince Harry standing behind Megan‘s right hand on her shoulder this is to say ‘I’m with you I am supporting you’. This is very reminiscent of some of the shots that we have seen from Hollywood power couples in the past and most similarly with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.”
The feature on Harry and Meghan was written by Spanish chef and founder of World Central Kitchen Jose Andres who praised the couple’s “compassion” and for giving a “voice to the voiceless.”
Other famous faces included on this year’s list include Britney Spears, Billie Eilish, Simone Biles, Lil Nas X, Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk. Politicians such as Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Stacey Abrams, Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping as well as Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala the first woman to ever be the director-general of the World Trade Organisation.
