ROYALS DOWN UNDER
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry beam with delight as they land in Australia to start first royal tour as a couple
PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle have touched down in Sydney for the first leg of their 16-day tour of Australia and the South Pacific.
The pair held hands and smiled as they arrived Down Under, accompanied by a ten-man entourage for their first international tour as a couple.
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Despite the long-haul flight - which saw the couple briefly stopover in Singapore - the Duke and Duchess of Sussex looked fresh and excited for their tour as they were greeted by excited fans.
But Meghan sparked a flurry of pregnancy rumours, clutching purple folders in front of her stomach as she walked hand in hand with her husband.
Eagle-eyed fans were quick to speculate with Meghan's latest appearance - just days after similar rumours were sparked when the former American actress wore a loose-fitting coat to Princess Eugenie's wedding.
Meghan, who has never been to Australia before, beamed as she was ushered into a car with Prince Harry.
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Harry and Meghan were met by many police officers at Sydney Airport who escorted them to their hotel.
Among their ten-person strong entourage will be Meghan's best friend and stylist Jessica Mulroney, as the duchess is expected to change her outfit up to three times a day.
Harry wore a grey jumper and put his bag into the boot of a car as he gave a thumbs up to onlookers.
The couple will have a lowkey start to their tour, not starting official duties until Tuesday.
But the couple were seen stretching their legs after arriving at Admiralty House, where they will be staying.
He was spotted , with the 34-year-old clutching his wife's hand as they strolled around the grounds before heading inside.
Later Harry made his first appearance on TV since the pregnancy announcement where he stressed the importance of families as he talked about the up and coming Invictus Games in Sydney.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spotted walking outside at Admiralty House after arriving in Sydney for Royal tour
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They are expected to meet with Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and his wife tomorrow.
They will not receive an official welcoming ceremony which is often tradition for the arrival of British Royals in Commonwealth countries.
As part of the tour, the couple will travel to many Australian cities in the first week including Sydney, Melbourne, Dubbo and Fraser Island.
After spending a week in Australia, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will head to Fiji, Tonga and finally New Zealand before they make the long journey home on October 31.
Harry and Meghan will use charter flights to get to Fiji and Tonga and will then have the use of a New Zealand Air Force plane to get to most of their engagements.
Among 76 engagements, the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 will be the main event of their royal visit.
Prince Harry founded the event in 2014 which gives sick and injured service personnel and veterans the chance to compete in a variety of sports.
The couple will be present for the launch and closing ceremony.
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The last time the Duke of Sussex was in Australia was to launch Invictus in 2017.
There was a crowd of people waiting outside the Governor-General's house to greet the Duke and Duchess.
The palace said in a statement: "The programme across these four Commonwealth countries will focus on youth leadership, environmental and conservation efforts, including the dedication of several new Queen's Commonwealth Canopy projects, and the recovery and rehabilitation of servicemen and women through the Invictus Games Sydney 2018."
During an interview in November the couple said they wanted to promote humanitarian causes close to their hearts across Commonwealth-member countries including Australia.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at Admiralty House, where Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove will officially welcome the couple
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Harry and Meghan will leave Australia for Fiji on October 23 and head to Tonga on October 25.
They will return to Sydney briefly before finally crossing the Tasman Sea to New Zealand on October 28, landing in Wellington, the country's capital.
Six months ago, Prince Charles made his 16th official visit to Australia to open the 21st Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast city in Queensland.
The Duke and Duchess were seen looking glamorous at Harry's cousin Princess Eugenie's wedding to Jack Brooksbank on Friday.
A body expert claims they may have had a minor spat during the wedding ceremony.
It is thought the royal couple left the celebrations early to make the 22-hour journey to Sydney.
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When Harry and Meghan travelled to Amsterdam for a star-studded boat party last month, their plane was struck by lightning, it has been reported.
In a terrifying mid-air drama, their Dassault Falcon 7X was hit close to its navigation equipment, narrowly avoiding a disaster.
Despite being zapped with 30million volts, the aircraft landed safely at Schiphol Airport.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry appear to have disagreement at Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s Royal Wedding
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