Everything Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Did This Weekend
We break down literally all the micro-updates on the royal couple’s packed publicity tour of Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, and Fiji.
If Prince Harry was mildly concerned about the press coverage of wife Meghan Markle in the days and weeks following their wedding, well, he must be positively freaking out right now. A week ago, Harry and Meghan revealed the now-Duchess of Sussex is expecting the couple’s first child, with a due date of next spring. Swiftly after that announcement, they embarked on a lengthy publicity tour of Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and Tonga—a set of excursions that were accompanied by breathless, hourly updates about Markle’s apparent ownership of an iPhone X, her various wardrobe choices, and her banana bread-baking skills. It’s been just the first week of the tour—they haven’t left Australia yet—and it’s already overwhelming.
According to Cosmopolitan, the couple is anticipated to make no fewer than 76 different appearances over the course of their 16-day tour. It’s all a bit overwhelming, not the least, in all likelihood, for Prince Harry. But if you follow along with each update, you can be sure to basically be touring Oceania alongside the royal newlyweds, and who doesn’t want that? Here, we’ve filtered through all the various anonymous tips and paparazzi photos and overheard quotes to bring you the most important highlights from this weekend in the life of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
Friday, October 19
On the other side of the International Date Line, it turns out, Thomas Markle was given advance notice of his daughter’s pregnancy, prior to the official Kensington Palace announcement. Samantha Markle, who has been stoking the flames of the family feud over the past year, said in an interview with the Daily Mail that it “is in the best interests of the baby that my dad is included.” Okay. What she wore: Striped Martin Grant dress with Karen Walker earrings; blue Roksanda midi dress Where they were: Sydney—climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge (Harry, that is); Bondi Beach What else: Meghan reportedly said having pregnancy is “like having jet lag,” a condition probably exacerbated by actual jet lag.
Saturday, October 20
Though a storm threatened the opening of the Invictus Games, Prince Harry and Meghan made their way to the Sydney Opera House for the slightly delayed ceremony. What she wore: Black Emilia Wickstead dress with Philip Treacy fascinator (while Harry wore a full military uniform); Altuzarra blazer with Mother jeans; Stella McCartney dress (recycled! previously worn for the Queen’s birthday) with Winser London coat (from the line designed by Gillian Anderson) Where they were: Sydney—at the opening of the ANZAC memorial in Hyde Park; Cockatoo Island; the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games What else: Emilia Wickstead is a Kiwi designer, which could be why Meghan Markle selected her look for the ANZAC event—but it could also signal an end to the feud ignited by Markle’s Givenchy wedding dress, which Wickstead alleged was an imitation of one of her own designs at the time. (She subsequently apologized.)
Sunday, October 21
We can expect Markle to be making slightly fewer appearances over the remainder of the royal couple’s tour; the Duchess of Sussex was instructed to take it easy because, as Prince Harry was overheard saying, “being pregnant takes its toll.” She opted out of the morning’s activities, but made her way to the Invictus Games in the afternoon; she and Prince Harry took in the afternoon’s race from the vantage of a boat. What she wore: Veja sneakers; L’Agence blazer with black jeans, Aquazzura pumps, and Oroton bag; black Jason Wu dress Where they were: Sydney—the Invictus Games, both observing the games themselves and attending a reception in honor of the event What else: “We want to make sure she gets enough rest at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day. If it has been a very late night due to unforeseen circumstances, we have to adjust for that,” a source said, per the Independent. So after the previous night’s later-than-anticipated opening ceremony—delayed due to weather—it’s only fair the Duchess should get a bit of a lie-in.
Monday, October 22
Despite concerns that the Duchess of Sussex might not join Prince Harry during their Fraser Island visit, Markle was spotted disembarking from a boat in the morning; she took a break from some of their duties during the day, but reunited with Harry in the afternoon. What she wore: Burgundy polka-dotted & Other Stories dress; striped Reformation dress with thigh-high slit; baby bump, cradled Where they were: Fraser Island—specifically, the Kingfisher Bay resort, where Meghan spent the morning getting some much-deserved rest What else: Meghan is not suffering from morning sickness, in case you were wondering.
The royal couple is off to Fiji, New Zealand, and Tonga next—and with the remainder of their press tour comes the promise of many more micro-updates and costume changes. We wish Prince Harry peace.
Related: Meghan Markle Spotted With a Cell Phone, Which Somehow Baffles Many