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.Â
Harry and Meghan spent about 10 minutes meeting families in the foyer. (AP: Jonathan Brady)
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. (ABC News)
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.”
Meghan made sure to meet one young patient. (AP: Jonathan Brady)
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.
Meghan seemed to love Lily’s handmade sign welcoming her to Australia. (AP: Jonathan Brady)
Lily Batchelder said she felt very excited today to meet royalty, and made them a sign to welcome them.
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.
Harry and Meghan also took part in a therapy session in the Kelpie garden with adolescent patients and staff members during their visit. (AP: Jonathan Brady)
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. (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. (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.
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, speaks with a child patient at the Royal Children’s Hospital. (Reuters: Jonathan Brady/Pool)
But not every Victorian was as pleased with the visit.
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,” Ms Wilson said.
The visit down under has been a subject of discussion in both Australia and the United Kingdom, where just 19 and 32 per cent of the British public now holding a positive view of Meghan and Harry respectively.Â
One young boy seemed pleased to meet Prince Harry. (Reuters: Mark Peterson)
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,” Ms 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.”