While there has been a great deal of huffing and puffing about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s two-day trip to Jordan, there’s also been a sense of genuine excitement from the British tabloids and British media. A sense of “yay, we get to talk about Harry and Meghan instead of these ghastly PDFiles.” One example of this frenzy: the Telegraph contacted a woman named Emma Bache, who is some kind of handwriting analyst. As in, handwriting reveals a person’s character, aspirations, intent, etc. Meghan and Harry left handwritten notes to rehab patients on Thursday in Jordan, and photographers captured those notes. So Bache is intuiting what Harry and Meghan’s handwriting reveals about them. It’s just as ridiculous as the “body-language experts” tasked with explaining why William and Kate are totally in love even though their body language screams “I hate you.”
On Meghan’s handwriting:
Superficially, Meghan’s note radiates confidence – far more than Prince Harry’s. But her writing is so stylised that anyone can see her number one focus is her image. The sticky note shows up close what we previously only glimpsed at from a distance in a picture she posted on Instagram of her “mood board” – which was also clearly constructed for public consumption. (It makes me yearn to get hold of one of her shopping lists or anything that would allow me to see how Meghan writes when she isn’t so preoccupied by appearance.)The first thing you see is that each one of her letters is embellished with curlicues and decorative strokes that don’t serve a functional purpose but also aren’t unconscious flourishes; I suspect they are deliberate additions to give her handwriting individual flair.
There are also a great many self-protective strokes. Look at the way certain letters – particularly in words like “happiness”, “wishing” and “dedication” – are formed so that the middle zone of the word is shielded. Graphologically, that is a classic sign of someone who protects their inner self at all costs.
Her pen pressure is strong and consistent, which points to high energy levels, passion and commitment. This is a woman who can throw herself fully into whatever she is doing at the time. But very strong pressure can also tip into obsession, and there are indications here of a perfectionist streak. In Meghan’s world, everything must look good.
Her baseline, the (often invisible) line upon which the base of letters rests, is exceptionally straight – almost as though she’s writing on lined paper even when she isn’t, which suggests an obsession with planning and shows how important structure and order are to her. The way she crosses the “t” in words like “congratulations” point to her ambition: Meghan knows what she wants and she is not someone who likes being told what to do.
Her long y-strokes are carefully separated from surrounding letters, showing exceptional organisational skills and a desire not to get emotionally entangled. Even her ovals – the “o” shapes in words like “you” and “yours” – are tightly closed, and almost knotted. That indicates that she is a woman who finds it very difficult to reveal what she is really thinking: not just to the outside world, but sometimes even to herself.
On Harry’s handwriting:
Harry’s handwriting, by contrast, is far less managed. The first thing you notice is the spacing. He leaves wide gaps between words, which is a strong indicator of someone who occasionally needs some space from other people. Meghan might claim she loves spending time alone but the truth is that she thrives on attention, whereas for Harry moments of solitude are essential to his emotional wellbeing. Interestingly, although his words are widely spaced, the letters within them are quite tightly packed. That suggests a man who struggles to articulate how he feels, even if he experiences those feelings deeply.His baseline is uneven and undulating, which makes me think he is adaptable, emotionally responsive and can go with the flow (a useful trait when you have married a woman who, according to her handwriting, needs to order the world exactly to her liking). The downside of this is that he can waver when under pressure.
Harry’s pen pressure has increased compared with earlier samples, suggesting he has become more emotional since becoming a father, but there’s also a downward tilt in parts of the writing. When he writes words like “courage”, they appear to almost be sinking in on themselves, which tells me he was tired on the day in question.
When you put their handwriting side by side, the relationship dynamic becomes very clear. Meghan plans, while Harry adapts. She controls the image, while he goes along with the narrative she is creating for their family. She needs to be centre stage, while he would often prefer to be left alone. In terms of parenting styles, I would imagine Harry is relaxed about the chaos that is often inevitable when you live with small children, while Meghan – who is the ultimate perfectionist – perhaps struggles with aspects of it. Ultimately, this is a well-established partnership, but their writing samples make me question whether it is necessarily an equal one.
If I’m being honest, I think handwriting can be revealing too, but not to this extent. Not to the extent of “She needs to be centre stage, while he would often prefer to be left alone.” Please. This is exactly like the biased body-language analysis – they start from the perspective of “Harry and Meghan are terrible” and manipulate their “data” to justify it. The obvious caveat to any handwriting analysis should also be: Meghan has been a calligrapher for many years, and she takes pride in her beautiful penmanship. Harry’s handwriting is simply perfunctory, like most men. What this woman claims to be “superficiality” is Meghan happily showing off a skill she’s proud of.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
