Sunday 28 October 2018

"We Can't Wait To Come Back": The Sussexes Depart Sydney!

The Duke and Duchess bid farewell to Sydney this morning as they prepare for the final portion of Royal Visit Oceania in New Zealand.

The Duke and Duchess arriving.

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The Sydney Morning Herald reports: "As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex boarded their plane ending the Australian leg of their royal tour just before 10am, they told dignitaries: "We can't wait to come back." At a blustery Sydney airport Prince Harry, in a grey suit, and Meghan in a mid-calf length burgundy dress, and both wearing poppies, boarded a Royal New Zealand Air Force flight bound for Wellington. Travelling with them on the Boeing 757 were several members of the New Zealand Invictus team."

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They were greeted at the airport by NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts, representing the premier of NSW and Julian Leeser, MP, representing the Prime Minister. Mr Roberts said: "Almost three years to the day I was here to meet Prince Charles with my week-old baby who is almost three now. Meghan said she loved the place. They both said they adored Australia and Australians. Both said they couldn't wait to come back. Mr Leeser, chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Suicide Prevention Group, said: "I told them we had a six-month-old boy at home and knew what they were about to go through. I thanked him for his work on mental health. He complimented us on having some of the best early-intervention programs in the world."


A long video from The Today Show.



The Sussexes are travelling on the same aircraft as a number of the New Zealand Invictus Games competitors, and on arrival, will be met off the plane together by the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

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From the airport, Harry and Meghan will attend the traditional welcome ceremony on the lawns of Government House – the residence of the Governor-General to New Zealand Dame Patsy Reddy. Harry and Meghan will be invited to hongi with the Governor-General’s Kuia and Kaumātua (Māori elders), before the pōwhiri, which includes a haka performed by members of the New Zealand Defence Force. The ceremony will also include a 21-gun salute, and will be attended by school children. They will then travel to the Pukeahu National War Memorial Park. Here, they will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, and will visit the newly unveiled UK War Memorial – whose design takes the form of two of the United Kingdom and New Zealand’s most iconic trees – the Royal Oak and a Pōhutakawa. This engagement will be followed by a public walkabout in the Memorial Park. This evening, The Duke and Duchess will receive official calls from the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition at Government House, before attending a reception hosted by the Governor General celebrating the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New Zealand.

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Harry and Meghan's first joint tour of Australia has been a resounding success. More from SBS News:

'The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's visit to Australia, Fiji and Tonga has been nothing less than a tour de force. They've wowed everyone from children to drought-stricken farmers and shone a spotlight on issues close to their hearts - mental health, the environment and the Invictus Games - while carrying out a jam-packed list of engagements in the past 12 days.
Australians were the first in the world to bestow an array of gifts on the parents-to-be, with Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove presenting them with a tiny pair of ugg boots and a toy kangaroo. Sir Peter summed up the fuzzy feelings Australians have for Harry, describing him as "almost a son of Australia" when he officially welcomed the royal couple at Admiralty House. Harry returned the compliment, saying he and Meghan "genuinely couldn't think of a better place to announce the upcoming baby, be it a boy or a girl".'

The Duchess wore the eye-catching dark pink Hugo Boss Eodora dress (with thanks to Meghan's Fashion). The £249 soft jersey slim-fit dress features a detachable belt. It is described as: "This long-length dress features cropped sleeves, a high neckline, side slits and body lining in breathable modal. A detachable belt highlights the slim fit of this feminine design and a logo zipper at the back adds a distinctive finish."


The Duchess repeated her accessories from last night's Invictus Games Closing Ceremony.


Meghan carried the $225 Cuyana Mini Chain Saddle bag.


The Duchess wore her Aquazzura Casablanca peach suede pumps.

Meghan wore the stunning Lavalier earrings by Australian brand Paspaley.


We'll see the couple's arrival in New Zealand shortly.

42 comments:

  1. This dress looks really pretty! Such nice colors lately. She doesn't even look pregnant here, which is weird. I guess each outfit fits differently.

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    1. I think it's the bow? it gets tied on the bump area

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    2. That must be the reason.

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  2. What an amazing week and a half it has been. Is it a week and a half? Theres been so much I've lost track!!

    Interesting news that Meghan and harry may be leaving the Kensington palace.office. it makes some sense seeing as they will have a much different role,but I was surprised.

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    1. Where did you hear that?

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    2. Can you please post a link? I wanted to read more about this, but my Google skills are failing me.

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    3. I didn't like that news actually, bluhare. Already, I feel as if the separate offices do not work well together and there should be more internal coordination and cooperation. I think this may exacerbate all of that even more.

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    4. I am not surprised, but am surprised at the timing. I assumed they would split when the Queen passes and BP takes over for King Charles and then CH taking over for W/K and KP focusing solely on H/M. But, who knows. Social media is pretty locked with CH as Charles and KP mainly W/K so who knows.

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    5. Can you say more about their leaving the KP office? I can't find it in the news.

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    6. I don't like the timing of the article, they are still on tour at the moment and this splitting of KP is overshadowing it. I do think the timing is also odd, there were reports that William had a meeting about the Duchy of Cornwall at some point, so perhaps I am reading too much into this but I believe that William and Kate maybe transitioning towards the POW title and Charles is going to become king soon. Perhaps the belief is that it would be better for Charles to ascend the throne while the queen is still alive (a much happier event) rather than have to wait until she passes away. The ascension should be an event that should be celebrated rather than one that has to be mourned (passing of the queen)

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    7. @Katie C.H.
      As far as we know, W/K have no plans to leave KP and the idea of leaving BP open year round has been floated around. I don't think Charles wants to live there as his permanent home base , apparently no one does as it's said to be noisy and uncomfortable.

      The timing doesn't make sense to me either.

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    8. Is an exclusive by Roya Nikkhah @theSundayTimes

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    9. I saw it on twitter. Roya posted a link to the article. She said that harry and Meghan will split from Kensington palace office next year, maybe after the baby comes. So it's not official but shes one of the reporters who usually is sourced well. It didnt say what Meghan and harrywill do, if they will be separate pr move to Charles office,

      It makes some sense, I suppose but I agree Erika, I'm not sure it would be a good idea. However William will be.prince of Wales or at least Duke of Cornwall at some point so the separation makes some sense when you look at it from that angle.

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    10. Bluhare, yes, I can see your point about the brothers' diverging paths. Maybe this is inevitable. It just seems a shame because I think that The Royal Foundation and other interests would be better served if all parties shared the same office. Also, there seems to be more competitiveness instead of collaboration between the separate royal offices and it would make me sad to see that. Hopefully, H&M intend to have their own office and not merge with CH because that may cause a rift between H&W over time.

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  3. Love this dress. Has a beautiful shape to it and the colour suits her well. One of the best from the the tour thus far for me. Looking forward to the next 4 days in Kiwiland.

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    1. I agree! Jewel colors go beautifully with her coloring. She glows instead of looking washed out...and the silhouette of this dress is super flattering.

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  4. Dress shows off Meghan's figure- she looks terrific! Is maroon/burgundy/rust becoming another Meghan neutral? They are all versions of red, for those of you who have been saying how wonderful Meghan would look in red. They leave Australia with very happy memories and wonderful images in everyone's memory.

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  5. Dee from Adelaide, Australia 🇦🇺28 October 2018 at 01:04

    What an amazingly successful tour this has been. Both Harry and Meghan have fallen more in love before our eyes. For both of them, their speeches have been powerful, emotional and dynamic. The incredible natural way they both have with connecting with people is so beautiful to see. Australia has loved having them, their strength both individually and now together is a formidable force for good, and with Harry & Meghan, William & Kate the Monsrchy is in good hands. I believe baby Sussex will have no Royal title, they will either follow in the footsteps of Princess Anne, or perhaps the Wessex’s. My thinking is that it will be Princess Anne’s ... Baby Sussex (and hopefully more little Sussex’s will need no Royal title, and will be brought up as “normally” as they can be.
    Looking forward to a wonderful few days in New Zealand, it’s such a magnificent country, both culturally and in its natural beauty. On a fashion note, Meghan look stunningly beautiful as she departed our shores, the colour of this gorgeous dress suits her so well, the handbag is beyond stunning and her hair is magnificent. Honestly, I’ve fallen in love with the Sussex’s during the past 11 days. 🇦🇺 ❤️

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  6. Wow beautiful dress that accentuates her beautiful figure!

    Bluhare, interedting news about them possibly leaving Kensington as their main office.

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  7. Love the maroon with the blush! Halogen makes a tie waist dress with slits that looks a lot like this dress but different colors...and maybe a different sleeve.

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  8. I’m enjoying the dress and the color too. The Duke and Duchess look sooo relaxed and fresh. I’ll be back later to see the full post. I live in the US and it is night here so it’ll probably be much later. Thanks, Charlotte for being so quick with your posting. People mag just posted their article and you are a little ahead of them. AWESOME!!

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  9. Love the dress and love that the poppies are out!

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  10. Love the dress and earrings and bag don’t love those sandals too clunky looking compared to the delicate light blue ones

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  11. Love the Hugo Boss Meghan is wearing. It is so refreshing to me that Meghan wears labels that are so familiar as well as available to followers. It is amazing to think we are at the tail end of the tour. What will we ever read when we wake in the morning? I would not be in the least bit surprised to learn that H&M take some R&R for themselves upon their return to the UK. However, with that said, it is Charlottee who deserves the R&R me thinks much more then H&M. I am sure all will agree.

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  12. She is wearing new earings leaving AUS looking closely.

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  13. What does that mean that the Sussexes leave KP as their main office? I have to keep reminding myself that family is separate from the 'business" of the monarchy.

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  14. Going to New Zealand, it’s two time zones later, I think? Auckland 17 hours from Eastern US.

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    1. Auckland is 2 hours ahead of Sydney - 9am Sydney time is 11am in Auckland.

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  15. Love the dress on her, all these garnet and burgundy shades suit her. The earrings are wonderful. Hope to see them back Down Under many times.

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  16. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/princes-harry-and-william-to-call-it-a-day-for-their-double-act-3pq5h0xgc

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  17. Tammy from California28 October 2018 at 03:05

    I want to ask this question: not to be snarky, but because I am just curious. Does she pay for all of her jewelry herself or does the RF pay for it? She wears alot of high end jewelry and I am just curious about that since so many people criticized Kate if she had too many new things. Or at least it felt that way. Not trying to compare the two, I am aware that Meghan probably has her own money to purchase whatever she wishes for and I am also aware that this is absolutely none of my business. I am just curious out of interest and nothing more.

    And by the way, I LOVE those earrings. BEAUTIFUL. But I am a big fan of the jewelry she chooses in general.

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    1. Hard to say, new stuff after getting married I'm guessing the RF (from my understanding not the taxpayer, but the Duchy of Cornwall - an independent estate owned by Prince Charles I believe?), but there are some piece that she owned before she got married to Harry that was purchased by her - e.g. the Birks snowstorm earrings. Meghan also gets criticized for her choices, there were many articles where they would calculate the total cost of her outfits for her visits (they also included the cost of many re-worn items). Unfortunately both royal women get regularly criticized for their outfit costs, but not the men, what can you do right?

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    2. I'm wondering the same Tammy. Especially these. They are gourgeous and given they are by an Australian company - could they be a gift?

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    3. Elle, you might be right they may be a gift. Of course we won't know for sure until the RF produces the list of gifts that the couple received during the tour. By the way I cannot find the pictured earrings on their website Charlotte, I can only find the yellow and white gold ones?

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    4. Tammy from California29 October 2018 at 18:58

      Yes Anon 3:22. It doesn’t matter WHAT they do they are criticized. But I saw something once that I remind myself of when I’m feeling criticized no matter what I try to do right:
      “You could be the ripest, juiciest Georgia peach and youre STILL gonna find people who don’t like peaches”. I think that sums it up.

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    5. I am in complete agreement Tammy. Really unfortunate that some of these reports try to paint both of these ladies in such a negative light when they have done such incredible things

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  18. love that dress she really she does not look pregnant at all

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  19. Oh, those earrings!!!! Almost takes away from my bag envy.

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  20. Love the dress, it skins her figure nicely

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  21. She's really saving the best for last. Love the olive dress for the closing, not to mention the divine shoes! The wine Hugo Boss dress is a huge YES for me. The silhouette is so flattering and the color great against her skin tone. Some of the earrings to die for.

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  22. Love the new earrings don’t see that pair on the website

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  23. the earrings are gorgeous and the purple dress is beautiful

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