Meghan Markle uses ‘severe & pleading’ gestures to demonstrate strong political views in campaign with Michelle Obama

MEGHAN Markle used "severe and pleading" gestures to demonstrate her strong political views as she introduced Michelle Obama's When All Women Vote Couch Party this evening.

The Duchess of Sussex made an impassioned plea to get women to register to vote in the upcoming US election from her home in Santa Barbara- and said “if you’re complacent, you’re complicit”.

Speaking exclusively to Fabulous Digital, body language expert Judi James said Meghan's "hard-hitting" message contrasted with her "pleading" gestures during her three-minute speech.

Judi said: "Meghan’s brand styling for this more political role was simple, basic and almost severe, suggesting she meant business even though she was emphatically appearing in her role as a Duchess.

"Her verbal message was also rather hard-hitting, warning about ‘what is at stake this year’ and ‘the change we all deserve’ as well as rallying women by telling them the ‘fight is worth fighting’, but she managed to soften the overall impact with her smiling and even affectionate-looking body language."

During the speech, Meghan moved her hands away from her chest multiple times - a "severe" gesture which Judi claims conveys her "sense of urgency" and "passion" for the issues.

What's more, the expert claimed the Duchess mirrored Michelle Obama's body language and public speaking style.

"Even as she warned that if women don’t vote they are ‘complicit in the problem’ her non-verbal tone was more pleading that finger-wagging," Judi said. "In this respect there were similarities to Michelle Obama’s body language this week, when her raised brows and worried expression suggested similar pleading, although Meghan also adds enough inspirational touches to motivate gently rather than worry."

Meanwhile, Judi highlighted how simple gestures - such as moving in her chair and looking up the ceiling - make her speeches appear "spontaneous rather than scripted".

She said: "Her brows were raised to suggest a sense of energy and the way she bounced in her seat was a new technique that implied she was keen to get everyone watching up and out of their own chairs to vote. As a body language signal it suggested keenness and impatience."

Drawing comparisons between Meghan's emotional Black Lives Matter speech earlier this year, Judi also highlighted how the Duchess uses hand movements to connect with her audience.

She continued: "Meghan’s chest-pat is fast emerging as her signature move during these inspirational talks and she performed one as she told her audience how thrilled she was to be there, adding an upward roll of the eyes for extra passion.

"It was the way Meghan looked upward at the ceiling regularly that suggested she was searching for her words rather than eyeing a script.

"She acted the emotions with her body language and appeared to be scanning upwards for the best way to verbalise them, which is an ideal technique for her young audience.