Body language expert explains how Meghan Markle and Melania Trump have switched up their public personas

WASHINGTON, DC: According to a body language expert, Meghan Markle and Melania Trump have switched up their public personas, with the Duchess of Sussex appearing more like a "trad wife" and the first lady looking like a CEO.

Astute UK-based body language expert Judi James claimed that the two prominent women appear to have switched positions in terms of how they now wish to be seen by the public.

'Meghan and Melania role-swap on their bingo card,' claims body language expert

According to Judi James, Melania Trump suddenly came off as a corporate ice queen who refuses to be perceived as a devoted wife.

She added that Meghan Markle appears to be unveiling a softer character ahead of the premiere of the royal's new lifestyle series on Netflix titled 'With Love, Meghan', with overtones of "trad wife." 

"Did anyone ever have a Meghan and Melania role-swap on their bingo card? Because that is how the re-branding of both women has currently worked out," James told Daily Mail's Femail.

"Mega-feminist Meghan, with all her signals of confidence and her DNA-based leadership skills, is now adopting a floral-frocked trad wife role," she added.

James said of Meghan: "She's gushing and squealing breathlessly about her 'husband and the father of my two sweet and exciting children' packing lunchboxes with her, or whispering about honey and making sweet treats for her pals."

On the other hand, James claimed that the First Lady's demeanor is as cold as a February frost, demonstrating to the world that she is not thinking about appearing to be playing house with Donald Trump.

"Melania has stepped firmly out of her 'surrendered trophy wife' cosplay with President Trump to emerge looking like a formidable power player with strong opinions of her own about how the country should be run," James said.

"This acute and dramatic role-swap is even more amusing given Trump's recent roasting of Meghan," the body language expert added.

Melania Trump represents self-reliant and driven businesswoman compared to Meghan Markle

In contrast to Meghan Markle's more laid-back demeanor in her early years with Prince Harry, the mother of two used to project a more professional image.

The 43-year-old exuded strength in her public persona, frequently giving the impression that she was on her way to the boardroom.

According to James, Slovenian-American First Lady Melania, 54, appears to have taken this stance. "Melania's most recent appearances have shown Trump appearing to attempt to engage and please his wife in public rather than the other way round," James said. 

During the inaugural celebrations, for example, Donald gave his "victory speech" and kissed his wife to express gratitude.

"It's now Melania posing for her official FLOTUS photo wearing all the non-verbal signals of power that Meghan once used on her cover of Time magazine," James continued.

Many parallels were drawn to Melania's official boardroom-style photo, which was unveiled when her husband Donald returned to the White House following a historic election. 

Some on social media said it had a definite "girl boss" vibe, while others pointed out that it looked a lot like frames and advertising pictures from the popular political thriller 'House of Cards'.

In a similar vein, James believed the picture portrays Melania as a self-reliant and ambitious businesswoman.

"Melania stands at the head of what looks like a boardroom table with her arms splayed in a gesture of confidence and her hands placed to signal territorial ownership," James said.

"Her sharply tailored suit is the epitome of power-dressing and her straight gaze to camera makes her look almost more formidable than her husband," she added.

Meghan Markle adopted 'breathless and youthful style of a social media influencer'

According to the body language specialist, Meghan Markle seems to have traded in her fiery exterior. "Meghan, meanwhile, has adopted the kind of 'Oh gosh', breathless and youthful style of a social media influencer," James said.

James claimed that Meghan's gestures—"hair-tossing, head-holding, baby-clapping and eye-rolling"—seem paradoxical in comparison to her signature and remarkable abilities as a "professional orator," and her asides to the camera appear sly.

Meghan's recent Instagram post, where she raved over the Billie Eilish items she managed to purchase for a victim of the LA fires, caught the attention of some royal admirers.

James concluded by saying that once the quiet "Sphynx and fashion plate" in her husband's shadow, Melania has suddenly come out as a "strong working woman, penning her own book and stating that she has her own opinions that don't always agree with her husband's."

"Meghan, meanwhile, is now acting like her husband's cheerleader and fan in Canada, while her TV series suggests she is the jam-making, bee-whispering hostess with the most-est behind the scenes in Montecito," James added.