Prince Harry (L), Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan (C), the Duchess of Sussex, meet a patient during a visit to the Adolescent Oncology and Rehabilitation ward at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.
Photo: AFP
Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have visited a Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital to kick off their Australian tour.
The couple will visit various charities over the coming days, in addition to attending some commercial events.
The pair will also visit Canberra and Sydney in the coming days as part of their tour.
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have begun the Melbourne leg of their whirlwind Australian tour, spending time at the Royal Children’s Hospital before they visit a women’s shelter.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be in Melbourne for three days spending time at various charity events, while also attending “private meetings and special projects”, including a ticketed conference on Thursday.
The foyer of the Royal Children’s Hospital was packed with families today for the pair’s visit, with young patients waiting eagerly to meet the Duke and Duchess.
Prince Harry shook hands and chatted freely with dozens of people, while Meghan stopped to hug children amid a flurry of camera flashes.
For 17-year-old Scarlett McGowan, it was a second brush with royalty after having met Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, many years ago.
“It was fun, Harry was very easy to chat to,” she said.
“He asked me how my care was and I had to point out how beautiful and how lovely our nurses are, they take such good care of us.”
Scarlett McGowan (right) was excited to meet the Duke and Duchess face-to-face.
Photo: ABC
She said it was a surreal morning, having only found out about the visit today.
“I was woken up and told I was going downstairs to meet Harry and Megan and I thought: ‘I think you’re joking, but OK’,” Scarlett said.
“I don’t get off the ward very much so it was very nice to come down and be human for a little bit.”
Young patient Novalie Morris admitted she didn’t know much about the pair before today, but had a wonderful time, even snagging a hug.
“Meghan wished me to keep on being brave, and I gave Harry some flowers, so I was just grateful for the opportunity to meet them,” she said.
Lily Batchelder said she felt very excited today to meet royalty, and made them a sign to welcome them.
Harry and Meghan join therapy session, serve community lunch
The pair then moved onto other wards and sections of the hospital, meeting patients who were still in their beds and joining a therapy session with some adolescent patients.
The Duke and Duchess joined a group of young people in one of the Royal Children’s Hospital’s therapeutic garden spaces, where a session was held with patients.
“The hospital can be a difficult space to be in – but our garden is a contrast to that. Time in nature has many benefits and has been found to improve mood, reduce stress and increase a person’s overall wellbeing – the impact it has on our young patients is incredible,” therapeutic garden coordinator Kayte Kitchen said.
Following the hospital visit, Meghan attended McAuley Community Services for Women in Footscray, a service for women experiencing homelessness and family violence.
On Wednesday, Harry will meet with players from the Western Bulldogs AFL team at a Movember event, but it’s unknown if he will attempt to kick a footy as Queen Mary of Denmark did last month during her visit to the MCG.
The prince will make a brief stop in Canberra before returning to Melbourne on Thursday to attend Indigenous and mental health events.
It’s the first time the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been in Australia since 2018, and the first since the couple officially distanced themselves from the royal family.
Harry and Meghan made their first public appearance of their Australian visit at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital.
Photo: ABC News
Harry and Meghan flew into Melbourne on Tuesday morning on a commercial flight from the United States, before being met on the tarmac by a private vehicle.
Mixed reactions to Harry and Meghan’s visit
One woman who spoke to the couple on the flight said she wished them well.
“I said I hope you have a lovely time in Melbourne and I’m sure you’ll enjoy Sydney, and we spoke about their children and that they were here for a couple of days,” she said.
“It’s so exciting. Everyone was so excited to see them onboard.”
One woman who was on the same flight as Harry and Meghan said she wished them a good trip.
Photo: ABC News
Another passenger on the flight said Harry deserved respect for travelling with the masses, even if the pair enjoyed first-class luxury.
“I think it’s admirable and honourable that he’s not just taking his own plane everywhere,” he said.
“Why not come on a commercial flight, as long as it’s secure enough?”
Another passenger said she had no idea the pair was on the same flight until she saw Harry as she was disembarking.
“I’ve never seen anybody look so refreshed getting off a flight from the US. He looked great,” she said.
But not every Victorian was as pleased with the visit.
Prince Harry (C) takes part in a model making activity with veterans and their families at the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum in Melbourne.
Photo: AFP / Pool
Opposition leader Jess Wilson went on the attack on Monday, voicing concerns that Victoria Police had been enlisted to provide private protection for the pair.
“Suggestions today that Harry and Meghan, who are coming here as private citizens for a commercial purpose, may be provided Victoria Police security or protection at taxpayer expense should appal every single Victorian,” Wilson said.
In a statement, Victoria Police said they were aware “two high-profile people” were visiting the city.
“Police routinely assess events and visits and will deploy resources as necessary to ensure community safety,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said.
“Victoria Police does not provide comment on specific operational arrangements.”
The visit down under has been a subject of discussion in both Australia and the United Kingdom, where just 19 and 32 percent of the British public now holding a positive view of Meghan and Harry respectively.
British journalist and royal commentator Afua Hagan said the visit had been much more low-profile than their 2018 visit by design.
“Where you get this conversation about a pseudo-royal visit, it’s because they are so popular, because crowds will turn out,”
Hagan said.
“We know there’s not going to be any walkabouts, maybe because of the security concerns associated with that.
“I think also partly because they didn’t want to have walkabouts either because then, it looks much more like a royal visit.”
– ABC