Latest News

Everything You Need To Know About Prince Harry And Meghan Markle’s Australia Tour

And the glaring omission that has the British press up in arms

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s first official royal tour is rapidly approaching and now we finally know where the royal couple will be spending their time when they visit Australia.

The royal tour, which will see them also visiting New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga, will officially kick off in Sydney on Tuesday, October 16.

RELATED: Everything You Need To Know About The Invictus Games 2018

The pair will begin the tour in Sydney with a water taxi ride to the Sydney Opera House, a public walkabout at Sydney Opera House forecourt, a viewing of the Bangarra Dance Company rehearsals and a trip to Taronga Zoo – but unlike other visiting royals before them, Megs and Hazza won’t be permitted to cuddle the koalas.

Despite the gasps of shock from the British press, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will meet koalas and joeys during their visit at Taronga but will be restricted to patting them as it is now against the law in NSW to cuddle a koala, smh.com.au reports.

From Sydney the pair will visit Dubbo on Wednesday, October 17 where they will head to the Royal Flying doctor Service hangar to visit with school children and unveil a new aircraft, meet with local farmers to discuss the drought and then attend a public picnic at Dubbo’s Victoria Park (where Harry will give a speech). 

Next, Meghan and Harry will travel down to Melbourne on October 18, for a public walkabout at Government House and Royal Botanic Gardens, followed by a Reception with the Governor of Victoria to meet with leaders and community workers to watch a demonstration by This Girl Can, and ending their day with a tram ride around South Melbourne Beach. The Duke and Duchess with then head back up to Sydney for three days while they attend the Invictus Games including the opening ceremony.

From there the couple will head north to Fraser Island in Queensland on October 22 where they will see a completed Queen’s Canopy project, which aims to restore rainforest across the Commonwealth, before they depart Australia for Fiji and Tonga. 

The couple will then briefly head back to Sydney to attend the Invictus Games closing ceremony before departing for New Zealand where they will stay for four days before returning to the UK.

A version of this article originally appeared on InStyle

Related stories