Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to visit Melbourne in October

PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle will visit Melbourne next month as part of their planned trip to Australia. Here’s when you can see them.

Ellen Whinnett

2 min read

September 10, 2018 - 6:00PM

VIC News

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PRINCE Harry and new bride Meghan will visit Melbourne next month during their trip to Australia.

The newlywed royals, whose fairytale marriage in May was seen by a TV audience of more than 1 billion people, will make their first official visit Down Under to attend the Invictus Games in Sydney.

During their visit to Victoria on October 18, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will meet a cross-section of youth and community groups who run programs aimed at empowering people through sport.

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will visit Melbourne next month. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The sixth-in-line to the throne and his US actor wife will also attend a handful of official engagements focusing on education, conservation and sustainability programs.

The 16-day trip is the couple’s first major overseas tour. The Australian leg also includes six nights in Sydney, a visit to drought-ravaged Dubbo in NSW, and a night on world heritage-listed Fraser Island.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday night he looked forward to welcoming the couple.

“Their visit will be an opportunity to promote the incredible achievements of Invictus athletes from around the world and showcase Australian programs promoting youth leadership, environmental and conservation efforts,” he said.

“And it will include a visit to a dedication to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy initiative on Fraser Island,” Mr Morrison said.

The couple will also visit New Zealand, and Fiji and Tonga at the request of Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will attend a handful of official engagements focusing on education, conservation and sustainability programs during their tour. Picture: Samir Hussein/WireImage

Kensington Palace announced some details of the trip last night, saying its focus was youth leadership, environmental and conservation efforts. Precise details are yet to emerge.

Veterans Affairs Minister Darren Chester said the young royals had captured the imagination of a new generation.

“Hopefully, they will get to experience many parts of our country as well as supporting the Invictus Games,” he told the Herald Sun.

“The Duke has a genuine passion for Invictus, and his presence in Australia will ensure the Games and all the competitors are exposed to a worldwide audience.”

Prince Harry, who served with the British military in Afghanistan, created the Paralympic-style games in 2014 to inspire wounded soldiers towards recovery.

The palace said that after a week in Australia, the couple would spend October 23-24 in Fiji, travel to Tonga on October 25, and return to Sydney on October 26.

After the Invictus closing ceremony on October 27, they will spend four days in New Zealand, where they will no doubt meet Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her new baby, Neve Te Aroha.

PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN’S TOUR DATES