Glancing in the rain Down Under
THEY brought rain to drought-hit countryside, he praised struggling farmers for their resilience and she even baked a cake to cheer them up.
But the Duke of Sussex and his pregnant wife had their thunder stolen yesterday – by a five-year-old boy.
As Harry and Meghan arrived in rural Dubbo, New South Wales, on the second full day of their visit to Australia, children lined up to greet them at the airport.
Then little Luke Vincent broke ranks to give Harry a hug and began playfully stroking and tugging the prince’s beard.
Luke was given a bouquet to present to the duchess. After giving her a big cuddle he returned to hug Harry again and rub his thinning hair, reducing Meghan to fits of giggles.
Anne Van Dartel, principal at Buninyong School, where Luke is a kindergarten pupil, said: ‘He got a hug from Meghan and then Harry bent down to speak to him and Luke didn’t give him any choice. Luke’s favourite person in the world is Santa Claus, who has a beard. So he rubbed Harry’s beard.’
The royal couple visited a farm to highlight the hardships caused by the region’s worstever drought. The past two years have seen livestock perish and farmers go broke.
Meghan, 37, presented the Woodley family with a banana loaf she had baked the previous evening when the royal couple were staying at the Governor-General’s residence in Sydney. The self- confessed foodie packed her cake with chocolate chips and a hint of ginger.
Benita Woodley, 20, whose family has run 3,000-acre Mountain View Farm for five generations, said Meghan’s creation was delicious. ‘It was such a nice and thoughtful thing for her to do. We are really touched,’ Miss Woodley said. ‘She said if you go to someone’s house you always bring something, so she did.’
The duchess also took a tin of Fortnum and Mason Royal Blend tea. An aide said: ‘She loves baking and just decided to take something with her on the spur of the moment.’
Meghan – who wore £120 black skinny jeans by Outland, a firm that supports victims of sex trafficking in Asia, with a £150 blazer by her friend Serena Williams and black high-heeled boots – later chatted about her pregnancy.
She told Emily Carroll, who has a 13-monthold daughter, she was ‘running on adrenaline’ and a ‘bit tired’ as she undertakes her first overseas royal tour, but plans to fulfil all 76 engagements on the 16-day trip. Mrs Carroll said: ‘Meghan told me that she’s feeling pretty good so far. She’s made for this royal business, isn’t she? They’re both great with kids.’
Harry, in open-neck grey shirt, black jeans and tan boots, gave a speech praising the community’s resilience in dealing with the drought – at which point the heavens opened. He was offered an umbrella, but Meghan got in first, holding hers over him adoringly.
Meghan’s blazer choice later caused controversy, with tennis star Miss Williams being accused of cashing in on her royal connections. She posted pictures on social media of herself and Meghan wearing the blazers, and her online store was redesigned to feature a massive photograph of the duchess.
‘She’s made for this royal business, isn’t she?’