Prince Harry and Meghan are gearing up to make their first return to Australia, more than seven years on from their whirlwind 2018 royal tour as newlyweds.

It may involve the same two key players, but the landscape of their public lives has changed dramatically since they were last Down Under – underpinned by the fact that while they will attend a series of engagements, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are travelling as private citizens and not as representatives of the British monarchy.

While the official itinerary is still under wraps, a spokesman confirmed to news.com.au last month that they will “take part in a number of private, business and philanthropic engagements”.

It’s understood the high-profile visit has been in the works for almost a year.

Here’s what else we know so far:

As news.com.au reported exclusively last month, the couple will be heading to both Melbourne and Sydney next week, for a schedule built around two marquee events.

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Prince Harry has been announced as the keynote speaker at the InterEdge Summit in Melbourne (15-16 April), speaking on workplace mental health alongside former tennis pro Jelena Dokic, Dr Amy Cuddy, and writer and podcaster Hugh Van Cuylenberg.

Meanwhile, Meghan is the special guest speaker at the “Her Best Life” intimate luxury women’s retreat, run by the company co-founded by Jackie “O” Henderson and her manager, Gemma O’Neill, which is being held at the InterContinental Hotel Coogee Beach in Sydney from April 17-19.

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The rest of their trip will feature engagements focusing on mental health, community resources and veteran-related issues, with specific details set to be unveiled in the coming days.

It’s also expected that Harry will take part in events relating to the Invictus Games, the international sporting competition for wounded, injured, or sick military service personnel and veterans which he founded in 2014. Although their official 2018 tour was on behalf of the late Queen, it was tied in with the Invictus Games, which were held in Sydney at the same time.

Meanwhile, a source close to Harry previously told news.com.au that “one of the happiest periods of his life” was the weeks that he spent in rural Queensland working as a jackaroo on a farm back in 2003 at the age of 19, and he was excited to be heading back to our shores.

Harry’s made multiple trips to Australia in the years since, including a month-long stay with the ADF at an army barracks in Darwin in 2015.

Harry and Meghan were greeted by thousands during their public walkabouts on their taxpayer-funded previous visit, but the fact this is being undertaken in a private capacity means those wishing to catch a glimpse of the pair may find it considerably more challenging.

However, once the official itinerary is released, potential opportunities to cross their paths as they arrive and depart events will become more clear.

Harry and Meghan’s last visit, undertaken in conjunction with a broader Pacific tour, was deemed a major success and garnered significant international coverage – but less than 18 months later, they quit official duties amid their struggles within the institution and relocated to the US to forge a new life.

That post-royal career push saw Meghan launch her lifestyle and homewares brand, As Ever, last year and it’s been widely speculated the visit is partially aimed at assessing opportunities to expand into the Aussie market.

The tour will kick off early next week.

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