Meghan & Harry’s triumphant tour Down Under
Meghan and her doting prince wowed the crowds on their royal tour which had moments of controversy and plenty of baby-bump patting!
IT WAS already highly anticipated – the first overseas royal tour by a golden couple who’ve captured the world’s imagination. But after their big baby announcement just a day before they were set to fly off Down Under, excitement reached fever pitch (YOU, 25 October). A tour and a tot on the way – could things get any better? And the magic began the minute Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, touched down on Australian soil. Everywhere they went people were spellbound, gathering in their thousands to catch a glimpse of a glowing Meghan and her adoring prince.
Over the course of 16 days Harry (34) and Meghan (37) visited iconic sights, met with local communities, took part in mental health awareness campaigns and showed their support to several projects dedicated to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, a network of forest conservation initiatives spanning the 53 nations of the Commonwealth.
At almost every stop they were showered with flowers, posters and stuffed toys – particularly iconic Aussie animals such as koalas, wombats and a giant kangaroo. Baby Sussex also got a pair of Ugg
boots courtesy of governor-general Peter Cosgrove and wife Lynne.
It’s safe to say Meghan was the one everyone wanted to see – the former actress who’d said goodbye to Hollywood, left her homeland and given up practically everything she knows to follow her heart and a life governed by the rules and regulations of the royal family.
The duchess did well on a trip that’s bound to have been daunting even for a person who’s lived most of her adult life in the spotlight.
Not only was it her first royal tour but she was in the early stages of pregnancy – a tiring time for all expectant mothers. Meghan is also said to have been concerned about the Zika virus, which is particularly dangerous for moms-to-be, given she and Harry were to travel to Fiji and Tonga where an outbreak had been reported recently.
She took precautions by slathering her arms in mosquito repellent, which gave her skin a definite sheen.
“The advice would be to wear a repellent that contains an active ingredient all day and all evening,” tropical disease expert Professor James G Logan told US People magazine.
The duchess, who is over her first trimester, is said to be feeling well, according to royal sources, and she did look good – her complexion brighter, her eyes more sparkling and her smile even wider – as she posed for selfies, hugged children and generally beamed alongside Harry.
She also upped the ante by baking a loaf of banana bread for a visit to a family-run farm in Dubbo in New South Wales early in the tour. Meghan, apparently jetlagged and unable to sleep, had baked the treat and presented it to the Woodley family “along with a tin of Fortnum & Mason royal tea”, US People reports.
But after a jam-packed first five days she was noticeably absent at a morning medals ceremony at the Invictus Games in Sydney – the sporting event Harry founded in 2014 for wounded ex-service personnel, and one of the highlights of their trip. Harry was overheard telling athletes his wife was resting, adding that “pregnancy takes its toll”.
Still, she was back later that day where several representatives from the 18 countries competing congratulated her on her baby news. “Thank you,” she replied. “We’re very excited.”
MEGHAN missed a few more engagements, leaving her husband to press the flesh, accept gifts and face the public alone. On one occasion she opted to stay behind at a luxury resort, leading to a bit of a social media meltdown. “I doubt shaking a few hands and lording around Oz is gonna have a detrimental effect on the pregnancy. Try working in a real public-sector business six weeks before you give birth,” someone ranted.
“She makes some public events and she’s ‘overdoing it’,” another scoffed. “She wants to get into the real world of work-
ing full time, having a toddler and a house to run.”
But others leapt to her defence, citing the rigours of long-distance travel as well as being an “older mom”, which comes with its own health risks.
But if the duchess was feeling out of sorts at any point when she was out and about she didn’t show it. She looked a million dollars in one expensive outfit after the other, toning things down when the occasion demanded and opting for laidback summer frocks and eco-friendly sneakers and flats. She even looked at home in a circle of hippies on Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach.
Yet if Meghan had the magic moments, Harry had the common touch. “No matter what he does he comes across as genuinely interested in everyone he meets, completely at ease with children, compassionate with the elderly and infirm and unfailingly friendly with the many dignitaries he has to meet,” a royal source says.
In an emotional exchange with Gwen Cherne, a 41-year-old widow whose soldier husband had taken his life earlier this year, Harry was overheard telling palace aides he “was in the middle of a conversation” and to leave him alone when they tried to hurry him along.
“He didn’t care what the agenda was. He was really lovely and we talked about real issues,” Gwen later told Australian site news.com.au.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams was correct when he predicted the tour would be a success and one that would boost support for the monarchy Down Under. “They’re likely to become a dynamic couple and be among the world’s most successful charitable workers, with their inspiration taken from Diana and from the queen’s dedication to duty.”