Meghan Markle wows in sundress with Prince Harry on Fraser Island
AFTER taking a rest in a luxury resort yesterday, Meghan Markle bounced back in stunning form to meet locals with Prince Harry on Fraser Island. She cradled her growing bump in a flowing sundress which had a thigh-high split.
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THE Duchess of Sussex scaled back her official functions to rest at a luxury resort after Prince Harry admitted pregnancy was “taking its toll” yesterday.
But she rejoined her husband at the end of the day looking stunning in a sundress with a thigh high split — the couple taking a relaxed Fraser Island walkabout with Meghan holding her hand protectively over her baby bump.
A royal aide said: ‘She isn’t sick, she just had a tiring few days and we were concerned about the roads on the island which are incredibly bumpy and uncomfortable for anyone, let alone a pregnant woman."
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Some of yesterday’s functions could only be reached in a jolting 4WD along rough sand roads and The Duchess who is expecting the couple’s first baby next Australian autumn decided not to risk it.
On a day spent among the splendour of the island, the prince was left blushing when one fan yelled out that he was better looking in the flesh.
Meghan and Harry travelled to the 123km World Heritage-listed island, off Queensland’s coast, from Hervey Bay on separate boats, the Duke on the island barge and the Duchess taking a whale watching boat.
Arriving in a maroon polka dot dress by & Other Stories with flat ankle-tie sandals, the Duchess rested at the luxury Kingfisher Bay Resort, meeting up with the Duke later in the day.
Opening a new addition to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy conservation program, Harry paid tribute to the beauty of Fraser Island.
But Jyleeah Green, 12, set him straight when he asked what the indigenous kids called the local kangaroos.
“We don’t give them names — we eat them,” Jyleeah said.
The Canopy, involving all 53 nations of the Commonwealth, aims to create a network of conservation projects to save indigenous forests for future generations.
In a space between towering satinay trees in Pile Valley, the prince received a blessing from traditional owners, the Butchulla people, who performed a welcome to country smoking ceremony. The Butchulla call the island K’gari.
Aunty Mally Clarke drew laughter from Prince when she called out “he’s even better looking in person”.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Harry replied.
His father, Charles had unveiled the plaque during his visit to Bundaberg in April, but it was left to Harry to do the duty in the forest.
“Luckily, we are both highly skilled when it comes to unveiling plaques,” he joked.
“It is up to us now to protect this paradise together, not just because it looks beautiful, but because it is an essential part of our existence and will continue to be for our children and their children’s children.”
After an impromptu meet and greet among those gathered in the forest, the Prince left for Lake McKenzie where he took off his shoes and was cleansed by Aunty Nai Nai Bird before walking barefoot in the waters and being shown around the white beach of the ancestral meeting place.
“It’s going to be a day he will never forget,” Aunty Nai Nai said. “I think he was blown away … the size of the timbers we took him to, the beauty of the lakes, you know, talking with our songman, our rangers, and hearing it from both points of view on things he had not thought about.”
Joining her husband for a walk on Kingfisher Bay Jetty, Meghan wore a black and white striped sundress by US label Reformation. Children lined both sides of the jetty and families gathered for a glimpse from the beach below, handing teddy bears and posters to the couple who travel to Fiji and Tonga tomorrow