Royal Tour, Day 4: Meghan and Harry return to Sydney
IT WAS the perfect photo op: a beautiful day, the Harbour Bridge and a prince. The PM did not want to be blocked out of this snap.
PRINCE Harry has taken his tour of Australia to dizzying new heights in Sydney.
The Duke of Sussex climbed the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge on a spectacular blue-sky afternoon, along with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, to raise the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 flag.
They were joined by four competitors from the Australian Invictus Games team — Luke Hill, Ruth Hunt, Heidi Joosten and Michael Lyddiard.
Also along for the exhilarating experience is Gwen Cherne, whose late husband Peter Cafe served in Cambodia, Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq.
When the group reached the top of the Bridge, one person in particular was clearly very keen to ensure he made it into the commemorative photo.
As the group squeezed into a tight space to pose, Mr Morrison found himself at the back behind Harry and not overly visible to the photographer.
But with a crucial by-election coming up tomorrow, the PM didn’t want to miss out on the high-profile photo opportunity.
Mr Morrison quickly moved to try to find a gap, before moving back again, so he made it into the shot. It prompted a laugh from the royal when he realised what was going on.
Ms Cherne, who is an ambassador for the Invictus Games, said the Duke took time to share personal moments while on the climb.
“He didn’t care what the agenda was. He took the time to have conversations and he was really lovely. We talked about real issues,” she said.
“He was comfortable and calm. We were having thoughtful conversations while walking up — it was actually relaxing.”
While she wasn’t there today, Ms Cherne got the chance to spend time with Harry’s wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, earlier this week.
“I was close enough to see the freckles,” she laughed. “She has this energy, light and beauty that you see in the media and it’s the same in person.
“They’re both genuine with the public and show such interest — it’s something our leaders could learn from.”
Tourists and locals gathered below the famous arches to catch a long-distance glimpse of the royal some 130 metres above.
When the climbers came down, Harry made a swift exit through an industrial entrance near the middle of the Bridge, waving to onlookers as he drove past.
Cara Mygind, the head of communications at Bridge Climb, completed the adventure with Harry and said he “loved every second of it”.
“He was incredibly happy the whole time,” she said.
“Both he and the PM climbed really well. Prince Harry was really excited and humbled to be climbing the bridge with Invictus competitors. And that’s what it was all about — time with the competitors.”
Meghan kept her feet firmly on the ground this afternoon.
She was originally expected to do the Bridge Climb, but last month the tour schedule was reissued with her name curiously removed from today’s activity.
It wasn’t clear why until Monday, when the couple announced she’s pregnant with their first child.
The PM joked in a radio interview with Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa this morning that Harry was getting “to climb the Bridge with a fat middle-aged guy”.
“I’ve trekked Kokoda and I’ve done all those sorts of things, but I actually haven’t gone to the top of the Bridge, so it’s part of the tourist habits now — you get to climb the bridge with a fat middle aged guy.”
On a serious note, he said the Harbour Bridge was the perfect Australian icon on which to raise the Invictus flag.
“It will be especially wonderful for the Duke and me to share this moment with members of the Australian team before they get ready to compete for Australia.”
Waiting at the base of the Harbour Bridge was a familiar face — Daphne Dunne, the 98-year-old who is perhaps Harry’s biggest fan.
She had met — and kissed — him twice before on his Australian visits and saw him again at the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday, meeting Meghan for the first time.
Channel 7 spoke with Ms Dunne today, who said she was cold.
“What happened there? I just saw him,” she told the reporter.
The Invictus Games Sydney 2018 flag will replace the NSW flag on top of the bridge for the duration of the games, until the Closing Ceremony on Saturday October 27.
The Games, which were founded by Harry, kick off tomorrow, with 500 athletes from 18 countries competing in 11 medal sports.
“On the eve of the Opening Ceremony of Invictus Games Sydney 2018, I’m excited to see the flag flying high above our beautiful harbour as Sydney welcomes competitors, family and friends from 18 participating nations for what is set to be an incredible event,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
It’s believed Meghan took a brief break at Admiralty House this afternoon while Harry was on top of the Bridge.
Later, the pair will meet with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten before Mr Morrison holds an informal meeting with Meghan.
REPUBLICAN SHORTEN MEETS ROYAL COUPLE
Bill Shorten may be a staunch republican but he didn’t show it when he met the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The opposition leader, who has vowed to give Australians a vote on whether to become a republic if he becomes prime minister, was all smiles when he met the couple at Admiralty House on Friday.
“Very nice to meet you, real thrill,” Mr Shorten said as he shook hands with the Duke and Duchess.
Mr Shorten’s wife, Chloe, wore a short-sleeve green lace dress to the engagement, while Meghan stayed in the navy midi dress with a light blue trim by London-based label Roksanda that she had changed into earlier to visit a western Sydney girls’ school.
“There’s a lot going on,” Prince Harry admitted when Mr Shorten asked about the couple’s busy schedule.
The royals also met with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny at Kirribilli House next door.
“This is such a lovely spot,” Prince Harry told the Prime Minister, who is against becoming a republic.
“It’s not bad,” Mr Morrison joked.
The Morrisons’ daughters, Abbey and Lily, waited in a nearby room, no doubt in the hope they’d get to meet a real-life princess.
The royal couple told the PM and his wife that they were excited to visit Fiji in the coming days.
“There’s about 300,000 Fijians who live in Sydney,” Mr Morrison told them.
The intimate engagement was a welcome distraction for the Prime Minister, who faces a hung parliament if his party doesn’t hold the seat of Wentworth in Saturday’s by-election.
STUDENTS MOST SMITTEN WITH MEGHAN
A group of Macarthur schoolgirls are still starstruck after the royals visited their school earlier today, but it wasn’t Harry they were swooning over.
With a laugh, one girl said the school had no idea the royals were coming, with teachers saying only Premier Gladys Berejiklian would be visiting today.
“They didn’t tell us the royals were coming. If I knew, I would’ve looked nicer,” she told Ten News with a laugh.
The reporter asked: “Got a bit of a crush on Harry, do you?”
“I think I like Meghan more,” she replied.
“Yeah, I have a crush on Meghan more!” said another student with a laugh.
"She was very elegant when she spoke."
— Studio 10 (@Studio10au) October 19, 2018
These students are still star-struck after the Duke & Duchess of Sussex paid a visit to their high school! #RoyalTour #Studio10 pic.twitter.com/NiEcQiCb5K
The girls are still in excited shock after they were lucky enough to glimpse the royal pair before their HSC exams today.
“It was amazing!" they said. “Meghan was waving at us, and we got a glimpse of Harry as well, so it was a really good atmosphere, to be honest. She was very elegant when she spoke. Very pretty as well.”
They said they heard Meghan saying she felt very lucky to be visiting the school and witnessing the program.
One of the girls added a positive nod to Meghan’s mixed heritage, saying: “I love how they’re an interracial couple, that’s the first time that’s ever happened. That’s a strive for me, for people of colour, because I don’t see that much happening.”
The Duke and Duchess met with students at the Parramatta school, who were involved with the NRL In League in Harmony Youth Advocate program.
The pair smiled as they watched a group of girls perform a beautifully choreographed dance for them outdoors. They then went indoors where students gave a presentation outlining their work on the project.
Both Harry and Meghan changed from their casual Bondi look from earlier in the day into more elegant outfits for the visit.
Meghan wore a long navy dress with nude heels, while Harry opted for a checkered button-down shirt with a dark blazer, paired with beige chinos.
MEGHAN’S UNUSUAL FAN GIFT
Meghan received a somewhat unusual gift from an avid royals fan at Bondi Beach this morning — a bunch of carrots.
The Duchess looked over the moon as the admirer handed her the gift, which was certainly more unique than the usual flowers and chocolates.
“Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed as the fan handed them to her. “Thank you so much!”
She immediately brought them to Prince Harry’s attention. “Look hon, we got some veggies,” she said.
“Fantastic,” he responded.
Here ya go! 👑🥕🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/rI15gXkGsP
— Molly (@mollyfleck) October 18, 2018
Local woman Molly, who filmed the interaction, said the fan was dressed like a carrot.
It wouldn’t be all that unusual — amid all the bright tutus and coloured flower headbands on display at Bondi this morning. Another woman was even dressed like a giant tomato.
Since it’s Bondi, at least we can assume the veggies were organic.
DUCHESS CRADLES BABY BUMP DURING BONDI WALK
Meghan cradled her baby bump during her visit to Bondi Beach with Harry this morning.
The royal pair looked relaxed and happy as they spoke with locals, both rocking a more casual and summery look than they did in rainy Melbourne yesterday.
Prince Harry wore a sky blue button-up shirt loosely tucked into beige chino pants, while Meghan had her hair tied into a ponytail and wore a full-length striped dress by Aussie designer Martin Grant.
Her sleeveless maxi featured red and khaki stripes with a square neckline, which she teamed with a pair of black wedge espadrilles by Castaner and a teardrop necklace by Adina Reyter.
Kensington Palace announced that Meghan and Harry were expecting their first child on Monday, hours after they touched down in Australia for their first international tour.
HARRY’S NEW BEST MATE
Prince Harry is no stranger to battles with mental health — and he’s encouraging everyone to open up about the issues.
He and Meghan spent the morning at Bondi Beach, participating in a group event with local mental health organisation OneWave.
OneWave founder Grant Trebilco said he connected instantly with the Prince, who he described as “relaxed and nice”.
“It felt like we’re best mates,” he told Nine News.
“When you share stories about mental health … it can turn people that you just met into best mates in seconds because you’ve been through struggles and shared them. We had good banter.”
The founder also said he “tried to get them on a surfboard but we ran out of time”.
Local mum Charlotte Connel, who also participated in the OneWave group circle, said Harry spoke about the importance of communicating your feelings and letting people know when things aren’t going well.
“Harry opened up about the power of communicating and how opening up can break down mental stigma and how it’s OK to not be OK. And that (when people realise that), the world’s going to be better off for it,” Charlotte said.
Highlighting mental health has been a running theme for both Harry and Meghan this week.
On Wednesday, the Prince delivered an emotional message about depression and mental health issues.
“We know that suicide rates in rural and remote areas are greater than in urban populations and this may be especially true among young men in remote regions,” he said in a speech in Dubbo.
“But outside all of that here’s what I also know. You are one huge community and with that comes an unparalleled level of internal support and understanding.
“All you need to do is to ask for it. Ask your neighbour, your peer, your fellow farmer is literally right around the corner.
“Chances are they may well be suffering too and will relish the opportunity to either listen or talk themselves.”
Harry has previously opened up about his 20-year battle, last year telling The Telegraph he “shut down all his emotions” after losing his mother Diana, the Princess of Wales.
He said he eventually worked up the strength to turn to counsellors and is now “in a good place”.
MEGHAN AN INSTANT HIT WITH AUSSIES
She baked her special homemade banana bread for a family of Aussie farmers in Dubbo.
She had her umbrella at the ready when a downpour started while her husband was giving a speech.
Now, she’s revealed herself as a yoga disciplinarian who doesn’t hit the snooze button like the rest of us. Meghan, we are not worthy.
On her fourth day touring Australia with Harry, she revealed that she got up at 4.30am for a yoga session.
“It was so good for healing your mind,” she told the group of OneWave members.
Locals couldn’t get enough of her positive attitude and sound advice on mental health.
For Ms Connel and her two-year-old son Finn Little, this was a regular morning — just with a royal touch.
“We do this every Friday — the anti-bad vibes circle and then we go surfing or do yoga,” the One Wave member told news.com.au.
Ms Connel, who is five months pregnant, said Meghan noticed her bump and asked about the pregnancy.
“She also said her way of healing is through yoga,” she said. “She said she was up at 4.30 this morning to do yoga.”
Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland is a yoga teacher in Los Angeles, and the Duchess has been practising yoga regularly since she was a teenager.
Meghan also spoke about the importance of being able to let go of criticism for good mental health, noting the negative impact social media can have on how we feel about ourselves.
Jessina Oakes, who spent 15 minutes in a yoga group speaking with the royal couple, told news.com.au Meghan said “criticism and flattery all come through the same filter of social media”.
“She said, ‘We always hold on to the negative. There is always this amazing feedback, but we hold onto the criticism’,” Ms Oakes said Meghan told the group.
“She talked a lot about growing up in terms of this generation and the pressures of social media because there is so much criticism we experience.”
The Duchess said yoga helped keep her “grounded”.
“She felt connected doing yoga in the mornings,” Jessina said.
“Like Harry, she said she felt very fortunate to be able to share positive experiences with groups like OneWave.”
Other excited locals noted the pregnant royal tried to shake as many hands as possible, despite the couple being rushed along.
Bridget Slipper, 33, and Hermione Davis, 34, came down to the beach at 6am and said it was “worth the wait” to get a quick greeting from Meghan.
“It’s all paid off,” Hermione said. “It was a long time but worth the wait to get the royal handshake.”
Meghan and Harry where swiftly ushered along the metal barricade to meet fans and didn’t have the time to stop and chat like on walkabouts earlier in the week.
“She didn’t say anything but she was so nice and tried to shake everyone’s hand,” Bridget said.
The moment was extra special for Ms Davis, who has also recently found out she’s expecting her first child.
“I’m due around April too, so the race is on with who will have it first,” she joked.
Everyone on social media is clearly impressed with the Duchess of Sussex.
She carries her own coat, she bakes banana bread, she holds the umbrella for her man... Meghan Markle we are not worthy #australiaroyaltour #dubbo pic.twitter.com/z6KTH6Zwt9
— Julia Naughton (@JuliaNaughton) October 17, 2018
Meghan has a daily yoga practice which she considers her “escapeâ€. Preach queen, preach ðŸ™ðŸ¼â˜¯ï¸ðŸ•‰ #RoyalTour
— Jenna Clarke (@jennamclarke) October 18, 2018
ROYAL COUPLE’S BIZARRE BONDI VISIT
Meghan and Harry have gone full Bondi.
The couple’s arrival on the iconic Australian beach got off to a bizarre and colourful start as they were given colourful leis and participated in an “anti bad vibes” circle on the sand.
The crowds lining the beach screamed as the motorcade made its way down Notts Ave.
Harry and Meghan swiftly got out and made their way down the steps of the southern end of the beach to start the fourth day of their Down Under tour.
As they reached the sand, the royal pair immediately kicked off their shoes and were given pink and blue floral leis to wear.
The Duke and Duchess then sat in an “anti bad vibe” circle with 20 members of OneWave, a non-profit surf community that raises awareness for mental health.
After 15 minutes of discussing mental health issues, the surfers on the sand with Meghan and Harry put their arms around each other for a group hug.
While holding hands, the royal couple then stood up in their leis and started chatting on the beach with the colourfully-dressed surfers, with Meghan putting on a second lei.
If Meghan and Harry’s aim was to shine a spotlight on mental health issues, they appear to have succeeded — OneWave’s website crashed moments after they arrived in Bondi.
They hugged members of the Bondi yoga group and walked along the waterfront to chat with a group of board riders.
They laughed and smiled as they posed for group photos with locals in flower headbands and bright shirts.
SNIPERS ON THE ROOF FOR ROYAL BONDI VISIT
Security was out in full force for the event.
Royal fans lining the iconic beach yelled “There’s a sniper on the roof!” as two police dressed in black and holding guns appeared on a high-rise apartment block overlooking the southern end of Bondi Beach.
As with any royal visit, there was a heavy security presence on the ground as well — but they looked more colourful than ever in their leis.
Barriers were erected on the beach extending into the waves, where board riders appeared to have been told to keep away from Bondi’s famous southern end surfing spot.
Security frisked the crowd at the barrier, checking gifts the public might have for the royal couple.
“Have you got any knuckle dusters or knives?” one lei-wearing official jokingly asked a woman as she showed him the contents of her bag.
It was a step down from Tuesday’s Opera House visit though, where royal fans had to enter the area through a security check and have their bags scanned.
No checks were in place at Bondi today.
CROWDS GATHER ON BONDI BEACH
Fans were gathering on the golden sands of Bondi from 6am this morning — and one pair prepared the most Aussie gift yet for Meghan and Harry.
Jarrod Allen and Giovani Testini rolled up to give the couple a traditional Bondi welcome — in budgie smugglers.
They even came armed with a tiny pair of swimmers for the royal baby.
“We did it when his brother came last time,” Jarrod said of Prince William’s 2014 visit.
There were plenty of unique outfits on display, including colourful tutus, neon headdresses — and even a giant tomato costume.
British university student Lissy Broad, 20, was there for one reason.
“My mum’s a huge fan. She camped out for their wedding. I’m here to rub it in her face,” she laughed while applying mascara, in case she meets the prince.
Then there was young Sunni, who hoped to get Harry’s attention with a single message:
Local mum Athena brought her two kids James, 9, and Helena, 11 down to catch a glimpse of the couple before school.
“We’ve always been fans of Harry but even more since Meghan came on the scene,” Athena said. She’s an everyday individual. It’s nice to have someone so down to earth.”
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