Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s first overseas tour is over – what are the highlights of their trip to Australia and New Zealand?
The 16-day jam-packed tour saw the royal newlyweds take in four countries and watch the Invictus Games
PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle have wrapped up their first official overseas tour, which has included visits to Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.
The 16 day trip was packed with engagements, with the Invictus Games taking centre stage.
The destination for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's first official trip as husband and wife mimicked Harry's parents' first overseas tour, as they visited Australia in 1983, shortly after their own wedding.
The Sussexes touched down in Australia on October 15, shortly before news of Meghan's pregnancy hit the headlines across the globe.
Their tour officially kicked off on Tuesday 16, when the Duke climbed Sydney Harbour Bridge to raise the Invictus Games’ flag.
The newlyweds attended the Opening Ceremony, before watching the sailing, cycling and wheelchair basketball events.
On their first day they also visited Admiralty House, the official Sydney residence of the Governor-General of Australia, Sir Peter Cosgrove.
The property boasted spectacular views across Sydney Harbour, home to the iconic Sydney Opera House.
Representatives from each of the 18 countries taking part in the Invictus Games were present.
The couple visited the world-famous Taronga Zoo where they met two koalas and their joeys.
Royals fans will remember it as the same zoo where Prince George delighted the world as he joyfully interacted with a bilby named after him during the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s 2014 tour.
Day 2 saw the couple head 300km outside of Sydney to Dubbo to shine a spotlight on problems wrought by drought in the area.
The Duke and Duchess then opened the Taronga Institute of Science and Learning, and visited the laboratory to meet conservation scientists working to reduce illegal wildlife trafficking.
On the next leg, the pair landed in Fiji where they received a traditional welcome similar to the one the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh received during their own Royal tour of 1953.
Meghan then attended Suva market without her husband to meet female vendors, although after a whisper to one of her security aides left very promptly, supposedly due to concerns about overcrowding and humid temperatures.
ROYAL ITINERARY
October 16
- Welcome from Sir Peter Cosgrove, Governor-General of Australia
- Visit to Taronga Zoo to open the new Taronga Institute of Science and Learning
- Visit to the Sydney Opera House to view rehearsal of Spirit 2018 by the Bangarra Dance Theatre
- Public walkabout along Opera House forecourt
- Evening reception hosted by the Governor-General at Admiralty House
October 17
- Couple will fly to the town of Dubbo, situated on the Macquarie River, 186 miles north of Sydney
- Spend time with the Royal Flying Doctor - life-saving aviation services
- Visit farmers hit by drought
- Travel to Victoria Park for picnic to celebrate community spirit
- Afternoon visit to local school working young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
October 18
- Fly to Melbourne for official reception atGovernment House
- Visit social enterprise café which offers training programmes for young Aboriginal people
- Afternoon visit to primary school
- Duke and Duchess will travel on an iconic Melbourne tram to South Melbourne beach
October 19
- Visit to Bondi Beach to meet local surfing group to discuss mental health
- Couple will take part in a youth advocate programme
- Duke will climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge to officially raise the Invictus Flag
- Meetings with the Leader of the Opposition at Admiralty House and the Prime Minister at Kirribilli House
October 20
- Duke and Duchess will travel by boat to attend the Invictus Games Sydney 2018
- Reception at the Sydney Opera House
- Invictus Games Sydney 2018 Opening Ceremony where Prince will give speech
October 21
- Couple will watch some Invictus Games events including cycling and sailing
- Lunchtime reception hosted by the Prime Minister with Invictus Games competitors
October 22
- Travel to Queensland’s Fraser Island
- Couple will take part in traditional smoking ceremony as part of welcome
- Unveiling of plaque for the dedication of the Forests of K’gari to the QCC
- Meeting with local elders and national park rangers
- Travel to Kingfisher Bay by boat for a walk along the picturesque Kingfisher Bay Jetty
October 23
- Harry and Meghan arrive in Suva, Fiji - couple will be greeted by Guard of Honour at the airport
- Visit to His Excellency The President of Fiji at Borron House
- Attend an official welcome ceremony in the city centre's Albert Park
- Reception and a State Dinner hosted by The President of Fiji at the Grand Pacific Hotel
October 24
- His Royal Highness will lay a wreath at the Fiji War Memorial and meet Fijian war veterans
- Couple will visit University of the South Pacific campus in Suva - the Duchess will give a speech
- The Duke will travel to Colo-i-Suva Forest Park and The Duchess to the British High Commissioner’s Residence
- Duchess will then travel to Suva Market to meet female vendors
October 25
- Couple will travel to Nadi in Western Fiji where they will attend a special event at Nadi Airport
- Unveiling of new statue commemorating Sergeant Talaiasi Labalaba, a British-Fijian soldier killed in 1972 Battle of Mirbat
- Royals will take a chartered flight to Tonga
- Duke and Duchess to visit Consular House for private audience with King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipauʻu
- Official reception and dinner, and traditional Tongan entertainment
October 26
- Visit to St George Building to meet Prime Minister S Akilisi Pohiva and his cabinet
- Couple will attend an exhibition with Princess Angelika at the Faonelua Centre
- Next they will visit Tupou College, the oldest secondary school in the Pacific
- Couple will return to the Royal Palace for an official farewell with the King before departing for Sydney
- Their Royal Highnesses will attend the Australian Geographic Society Awards in Sydney
October 27
- Final day of Invictus Games
- Afteroon watching wheelchair basketball finals at the Quay Centre before Closing Ceremony at Qudos Bank Arena
- Couple will speak at both events
October 28
- Couple will depart on a Royal New Zealand AirForce flight for Wellington
- Traditional welcome ceremony on the lawns of Government House
- Couple to attend hongi with Maori elders, including haka performance and gun salute
- Visit to Pukeahu National War Memorial Park to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior
- Visit newly unveiled UK War Memorial
- Meetings with Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition at Government House
- Evening reception celebrating the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New Zealand
October 29
- Morning meeting with young people from mental health projects in New Zealand
- Travel to Abel Tasman National Park
- Traditional welcome followed by trail walk through forest
- Couple will visit Courtenay Creative for evening event celebrating the city’s thriving creative arts scene
October 30
- Arrival in Auckland
- Visit to North Shore to dedicate a 20 hectare area of native bush to The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy
- Meeting children for "welly-wanging" contest
- Couple will join PM to visit Pillars, a charity operating across New Zealand that supports children of inmates
- Duke and Duchess will meet the people of Auckland on the Viaduct Harbour
- Evening reception hosted by the Prime Minister at the Auckland War Memorial Museum
October 31
- Visit to lakeside town of Rotorua
- Travel to Rainbow Springs to learn more about the centre’s kiwi bird breeding programme
- Afternoon walkabout meeting the public
- Travel to Redwoods Treewalk Rotorua - a 700m-long walkway of suspension bridges
- Return to Auckland in the evening
November 1
- Depart for London
Moving on to Tonga, the royals were greeted at the airport by Her Royal Highness The Princess Angelika Latufuipeka.
The evening consisted of a private audience with His Majesty King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipauʻu, followed by an official reception and dinner and traditional Tongan entertainment.
Back in Sydney the pair attended the Invictus Games closing ceremony and both made speeches.
On October 28, Harry and Meghan flew to New Zealand to start the final leg of their tour.
The couple were welcomed with a traditional ceremony on the lawns of Government House – the residence of the Governor-General to New Zealand Dame Patsy Reddy.
They watched a haka performance with maori elders and enjoyed a forest trail walk through Abel Tasman National Park.
more on the royal tour
Meghan Markle then proceeded to beat Prince Harry in a traditional welly wanging competition before the couple attended a reception hosted by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
During the final days of the tour, their Royal Highnesses visited the North Shore to dedicate a 20 hectare area of native bush to The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy.
The couple will head home to the UK on 1 November.
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