Meghan Markle and Prince Harry ‘Don’t Mind Showing Emotions,’ Royal Photographer Says

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are known for their public displays of affection, which one royal source credits to them not being afraid of “showing emotions.”

Ever since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first stepped foot into the public eye as a couple, they made headlines for their handholding and other moments of PDA, something that other royals shy away from, and it turns out that their close bond is due to them being very in touch with their emotions.

“They are not afraid to hold hands. They don’t mind showing their emotions,” Mark Stewart, veteran royal photographer, told PEOPLE.

The newly minted Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not been shy when it comes to public displays of affection, the couple memorably walking hand-in-hand at the Invictus Games in Toronto in September 2017 during their first public event, a subtle moment of intimacy that they have shared at countless public appearances since. More recently, Markle and Prince Harry linked arms in Prince Louis’ official christening portraits taken inside of Clarence House, a modern gesture that their other royal counterparts typically do not show.

“Meghan is used to being touchy-feely, and Harry is the same. Harry has always been tactile,” former palace spokesman, Dickie Arbiter, said.

Although the couple’s moments of intimacy are welcome by many, Markle has faced criticism from some royal fans and has even at times been rejected by Prince Harry when she attempted to grab hold of his hand, something that was caught on camera at the Young Leaders Reception at Buckingham Palace in June. However, the apparent rejection was likely due to the fact that the couple was in the presence of Queen Elizabeth, who other royals typically follows as an unofficial source of royal protocol.

“The Queen rarely holds hands with her husband in public and this seems to have set an unwritten precedent for the other royals,” body language expert Robin Kermodetold the Daily Mail.

Although she is undergoing six months of royal training, according to another royal source, Markle finds “certain rules in the royal household difficult to understand,” such as the Queen’s preference for women wearing dresses or skirts over pants. Despite the slight misunderstandings, though, the new Duchess seems to be fitting in quite well with the Royal Family, having won over Queen Elizabeth during their first solo trip together and laughing with sister-in-law Kate Middleton during their first solo outing together.