Prince Harry and Meghan have kicked off their four-day trip Down Under by visiting sick kids at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex met patients, parents and staff at the world-class healthcare facility on Tuesday.
Flanked by dozens of security guards, hundreds of people gathered in the hospital’s foyer to catch a glimpse of the couple.
Prince Harry and Meghan spent about 15 minutes shaking hands and speaking to patients before visiting the clinical wards.
When a reporter said: “welcome to Australia”, Meghan replied that she was “happy to be here”.
Lily was fortunate enough to catch the couple’s attention with her colourful sign that read: “Welcome Harry and Meghan”.
The four-year-old, who was diagnosed with b cell leukemia 11 months ago, also snapped a selfie with the pair.
Lily told the Herald Sun it was “very nice and very sweet” meeting Prince Harry and Meghan.
“It was my first time meeting them,” she said.
“It’s nearly been the best day of my life.”
Enuara, who had spinal surgery at the Royal Children’s Hospital, handed Meghan a pink flower.
“It was fun,” the eight-year-old said.
After meeting patients in the hospital’s foyer, Prince Harry and Meghan visited the adolescent medicine ward where they spent time with young people receiving care for acute and chronic health conditions, as well as those undergoing rehabilitation.
The Royal Children’s Hospital chief executive Dr Peter Steer said the couple’s visit was “genuinely meaningful” for the children and staff.
“It was clear that both the Duke and Duchess bring a sincere care for, and long-standing commitment to, the mental health and wellbeing of young people,” he said.
“We were delighted to welcome them to this part of our hospital and to share the remarkable work being done in adolescent health.
“It was a genuinely meaningful visit for our staff and for the young people receiving care.”
Director of adolescent medicine Dr Cate Rayner added: “This visit shows our young people that their experiences matter. For young people managing complex health issues, sharing what they are going through is incredibly empowering”.
Prince Harry and Meghan also joined a group of young people in one of the hospital’s therapeutic garden spaces, taking part in an activity led by our Garden Therapists.
This is the third high-profile visit at the Royal Children’s Hospital this year after Queen Mary and Ed Sheeran stopped by the facility in March.
Meanwhile, Meghan is expected to make a visit to a women’s homeless and family violence shelter later on Tuesday before joining Prince Harry at the Australian National Veterans’ Art Museum.
On Wednesday, Prince Harry will appear at a Movember event at Whitten Oval with players from the Western Bulldogs then fly to Canberra for events at the Australian War Memorial and attend a Last Post ceremony.
He will then head back to Melbourne and join Meghan on the Scar Tree Walk before the couple attend the InterEdge Summit on Thursday.
The Duke and Duchess will end their trip in Sydney where they will sail around the harbour and attend a rugby match.
Meghan visits women’s refuge
Following the hospital visit, Meghan visited a women’s refuge in Melbourne.
The Duchess donned an apron and served frittata to people at the centre, run by McAuley Community Services for Women, which supports women and children experiencing family violence and homelessness.
After serving multiple people, Meghan said “is anyone else hungry?” while looking and smiling at the crowd.
Meghan then sat down at a table and joined people eating food, telling them: “We landed here this morning so my jet lag hasn’t quite hit yet”.
Harry and Meghan touch down
More than seven years after their 2018 royal tour, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have quietly slipped into Melbourne – this time as private citizens.
Clueless passengers on a Qantas flight that landed in Melbourne on Tuesday morning had no idea they were sitting near Harry and Meghan who are making their first visit to Australia in nearly eight years.
The pair, who flew on a commercial Qantas flight, were seen landing in Melbourne Airport at 6am.
Disembarking the aircraft, other passengers were dumbfounded when they saw the former royal couple slip past other passengers flanked by heavy security.
One passenger told Today they pair “basically slipped off pretty quickly off the aircraft”.
One passenger managed to sneak a chat with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex while on the flight, launching into a discussion “about their children” and got a rundown of the couple’s intense schedule.
Another said the couple were “super friendly around the toilet areas”.
Their four-day itinerary is anchored around two major speaking appearances, alongside smaller “private, business and philanthropic engagements.”
The “operational planning notes” written by the couple’s PR head Liam Maguire and shared with selected media, shows the couple will stop in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.
The couple stepped back from royal duties in 2020 – a move widely dubbed “Megxit” – and now live in California, where they have engaged in various media and business ventures.
Their return to Australia is expected to draw both crowds and controversy, with critics labelling the trip a “grubby” attempt to “cash in” on their royal status.
Melbourne resident Barb Clough said she didn’t care for Ms Markle and Prince Harry’s arrival.
“I’m not interested in Harry and Meghan,” Ms Clough said.
“If it was Kate and William, I’d be lined up and waving my flag.”
Whereas Chathuri Bokanda said she was very excited for Ms Markle’s visit.
“I’m so excited to see Meghan because I watched her movie,” Ms Bokanda said.
“I’m hoping to see her … she’s a celebrity.”
Originally published as Prince Harry, Meghan Markle launch Australian tour with visit to Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne
