Harry and Meghan head home after a historic visit...
Harry and Meghan’s first visit is a resounding success
THEY may have been anxious to get home in time to watch England play Croatia in the World Cup, but there was not a hint of Harry and Meghan being in a hurry yesterday as they toured some of Dublin’s prime cultural spots.
Indeed at times it felt as though they had all the time in the world, warmly greeting those who had turned out to see them, shaking several hundred hands along the way, asking plenty of questions and listening intently to the answers.
They were charming and sweet, it was universally agreed, and especially attentive to the small children who came to greet them –
some clutching posies of flowers to give to Meghan.
The second day of their first official foreign visit as a married couple kicked off at 9.30am sharp at Áras an Uachtaráin.
‘Well now in fairness, they have no excuse to be late, they could have walked across,’ joked one Áras staff member, referring to the fact they had stayed in Farmleigh in the Phoenix Park the night before.
They were greeted by President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina – looking resplendent in a raspberry red fitted dress – in the State Reception Room. Meghan’s dress, by designer Roland Mouret, was a much more muted light olive green colour, teamed with black high heels.
After signing the large leatherbound visitor’s book, at a table that was made specially for Queen Elizabeth II’s visit in 2011, the two couples posed for photographers. The sound of camera shutters broken at one point by a reporter boldly asking if football was coming home.
‘Most definitely,’ came a quiet but firm reply from Harry.
Before heading on a short tour of the gardens, the couple were introduced to the President’s dogs, Bród and Síoda, two statuesque Bernese mountain dogs.
Meghan, who is famously mad about dogs, spent several
minutes stroking and tickling the presidential pets.
‘No matter who comes here those dogs always end up stealing the show,’ laughed one staff member.
‘There’s been great excitement about them coming today, especially because it seemed to come out of the blue a bit, there wasn’t a whole lot of notice.’
In the gardens, currently a parched brown colour thanks to the recent spell of hot weather, the couple were shown the oak tree that Harry’s grandmother planted during her visit there seven years ago.
They then moved on to the Peace Bell, installed in 2008 to mark the
tenth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which they rang together after a count of three.
After the 15-minute tour it was time to depart, the Prince brushing hairs off his sharp blue suit before playfully admonishing the two dogs who had walked with them to the front door.
From there it was to Croke Park and after an hour spent at the home of GAA it was on to Trinity College where they arrived shortly after midday.
Just under 15 minutes was spent in The Long Room of the Old Library. Helen Shenton, Trinity’s first female head librarian showed the newlyweds around before they
were led to The Book Of Kells exhibition. It was then time to met the public.
Emerging into the Front Square, their appearance was greeted by a loud roar from the crowd – estimated
to have been more than 500 people – and a sea of mobile phones being held aloft to record the occasion.
Several young people working in Trinity had taken time out of their
lunch break to come and see the royals.
‘It’s just really nice that they chose Ireland as their first foreign place to visit as a new couple,’ said Naoise Whearity from Skerries, Co. Dublin. ‘And the atmosphere here today is really lovely.’
Caroline Campbell had a very special reason to come and see Harry.
‘I was living in Shannon, Co. Clare, when his mum, Princess Diana, died,’ she explained. ‘I spent two days in my local shopping centre gathering over 5,000 signatures for a book of condolences, which I then sent to Kensington Palace. I just wanted them
Especially attentive to small children ‘Atmosphere is really lovely today’
to know how sad we were that she had died. They sent back a lovely note.
‘I really admire Meghan, the choice that she has made in marrying Harry, leaving that other life she had for him. And I love how Harry has grown-up and matured into a lovely young man.’
As the couple made their way around the barriers to chat to the crowd, it was clear to see they were a massive hit.
Harry, tall and fit, now wearing a light grey blazer and white shirt with an open collar, reaching into the throng to shake hands and thank people for coming out to see them. Meghan, whippet thin and her hair now hanging in long glossy waves down her back, had changed into a sharply tailored black trouser suit with narrow legs and teamed with a white top.
‘I think she could have done with a pop of colour,’ one by-stander remarked. ‘It’s difficult to see her in among those grey and black suits that all the security people are wearing.’
After Trinity it was on to the Famine memorial at Customs House Quay and then a tour of the EPIC Museum, based at CHQ.
Despite the packed schedule and ticking clock, the couple looked happy and relaxed as they strolled hand in hand into the glass-fronted building.
Inside they were told about Ireland’s emigration history before moving on to the Storytelling stop, an interactive library that chronicles Irish Nobel prizewinners and bestsellers. ‘There are Irish everywhere, doing amazing things,’ said an impressed Harry.
In the Irish designers’ section they noticed a nod to hat maker Philip Treacy, who has created pieces for Meghan.
‘He’s so much fun,’ she was heard saying to her husband.
There were another couple of stops, meeting young people taking part in CoderDojo coding workshops and at the communications gallery, Dogpatch Labs, before the couple came out at 4.15pm for one last walkabout.
As the Liber8 Music Project, involving young students from the Liberties, played on-stage, the couple did a final round of handshaking and greeting the crowd who had been waiting for hours.
It took just 20 minutes, but the pace was leisurely and relaxed.
Harry flashed a thumbs up at the young music band to acknowledge their sweet tunes and then it was back into the Range Rover for the trip to Dublin Airport with a garda escort.
With any luck, and hopefully the wind was at their backs, they made it home in time for kick-off...
‘Harry has grown to be a lovely man’