What Meghan’s ‘koala hugs’ for friends and colleagues REALLY mean, reveals body language expert

Whether walking on the red carpet or cheering on a girlfriend at an event, Meghan  doesn’t shy away from being tactile with her companions.

Now, body language expert Judi James has revealed the different meanings behind the Duchess of Sussex‘s tendency to touch.

Meghan’s warm hugs with her friends and colleagues seem to carry ‘different emotional functions,’ Ms James said.

She added that the duchess’s embraces project the message that she ‘is warm and very popular’, while also making the relationship ‘look strong’.

The interactions appear to carry memorable ‘strong signals of affection’ to the person receiving the hug while offering ‘maybe some social reassurance that Meghan finds rewarding’ in her busy social life.

Meghan often clasps her husband’s hand in public, too, but Ms James said this is not the same ‘intense hugging and holding’ as with her friends. 

Here, MailOnline reveals more of Ms James’s expert perspective on the Duchess’s tactile communication.

Meghan places her arm over the shoulder of Canadian television presenter Chloe Wilde at an event in Toronto in 2016

Meghan holding Prince Harry’s hand at the wedding of Daisy Jenks and Charlie van Straubenzee in 2018

Holding hands on the red carpet 

Meghan attended a charity gala earlier this month with her close friend Kelly McKee Zajfen to support LA Children’s Hospital.

They were snapped smiling together and holding hands, while Meghan situated herself behind Kelly as they posed for the cameras. 

Holding her friends’ hands across her body could be a ‘barrier ritual,’ according to Ms James.

This seems to imply ‘she sees her friend as a strong, protective presence’, the body language expert said, while ‘the double clasp makes the support look two-way’.

Harry did not attend the event with his wife. It comes after the couple made a series of separate plans, including the Duke’s recent solo trips to Lesotho and London.

Meghan attending a charity gala earlier this month with her close friend Kelly McKee Zajfen

The two friends smile and hold hands in front of the cameras, with Meghan situating herself behind Kelly

Koala hug

Back in 2016, before the Duchess had even met Prince Harry, Meghan attended a World Vision event in Toronto.

She was photographed embracing her former best friend Jessica Mulroney, who was a stylist for the former Canadian first lady Sophie Trudeau.

Ms James described the gesture as a ‘koala hug’ and said it ‘is quite a childlike display’.

The women’s arms circle round one another, which Ms James described as looking like they ‘feel in need of protection against the rest of the world’. 

Ms James said the display shows strong bonding between the women. 

However, the pair fell out after Jessica became embroiled in a ‘white privilege’ row with lifestyle blogger Sasha Exeter in 2020.

Meghan and her former friend Jessica Mulroney embracing in a ‘koala hug’ at an event in Toronto in 2016

Hand on shoulder 

Aside from close hugs and hand clasps, Meghan uses more casual tactile poses with her friends, too. 

In 2016, she attended an event with Chloe Wilde and was photographed with her arm loosely over the Canadian television presenter’s shoulder. 

This gesture is ‘a signal of camaraderie or shared thinking for the camera,’ Ms James said. 

It is something Meghan replicated again last year with journalist and social activist Gloria Steinem at the Women of Vision Awards.

The Duchess placing her hand on journalist and social activist Gloria Steinem’s shoulder earlier this year 

Shoulders and stare

Taking the shoulder holding up a notch, Meghan was snapped in a ‘dominant-looking hug’ with Rick Hoffman at the Suits season five premiere in Los Angeles in 2016.

The Duchess placed both hands on the American actor’s shoulders and the pair looked directly at one another. 

Ms James described the gesture as ‘pinning the other person affectionately and using questioning eye contact’.

She said it could suggest one is asking the other how they are, ‘asking after their health or their life and wanting to show they really mean it’. 

Meghan placing her hands on actor Rick Hoffman’s shoulders at the Suits season five premiere in Los Angeles in 2016

Arm cradle 

When Meghan attended her charity clothing collection launch in London in 2019, she greeted Misha Nonoo with warmth.

The Duchess hugged the fashion designer and the pair were photographed in what Ms James describes as an ‘arm cradle’ pose that is ‘often performed at the end of a more loving hug ritual’. 

She said: ‘It suggests a reluctance to break away plus a strong desire to speak or chat.’

Meghan holding designer Misha Nonoo’s arms at her charity clothing collection launch in London in 2019

Bundle of affection

In August, Meghan was also seen sharing a tight hug with Kelly McKee Zajfen at the George Zajfen Tennis Tournament, in memory of her son.

It again signified the close bond between the pair, but this time Kelly’s daughter Lily was caught in the embrace too. 

Ms James described it as a ‘bundle of affection’ and said Meghan appeared to be the one ‘giving the maximum effort to show the love’.

She added: ‘It’s the kind of hug you might normally do after a long period of separation, with strong attachment signals suggesting how much you have missed someone.’

Meghan, Kelly and Lily hug at the George Zajfen Tennis Tournament earlier this year 

Group hug 

The Duchess has been pictured sharing group embraces with her friends and colleagues in the past, too.

Back in 2013, Meghan posed with American actresses Gina Torres and Sarah Rafferty at a Suits event in Beverly Hills, California.

The trio held their arms around one another and smiled for the cameras, leaning in and laughing together. 

Ms James described the scene as ‘hen party vibes’ and added: ‘It suggests close relationships that might have involved a lot of partying back in the day and shared memories now.’

Meghan posing with American actresses Gina Torres and Sarah Rafferty at a Suits event in Beverly Hills, California, in 2013

Meghan sharing a hug with women she worked with at the Hubb Community Kitchen in 2018

In a different context, Meghan shared a hug with women she worked with at the Hubb Community Kitchen in west London in 2018.

They had launched a charity cookbook together, supporting families affected by the devastating Grenfell Tower fire.

The body language expert said the scene was, ‘less about partying memories and more about joint ventures’.

Ms James added: ‘There’s no giggling but some hint of chat inside the hug and it resembles the kind of group hug you used to get in business to bond the team and register empathy.’