Duke and Duchess of Sussex wrap up Australian tour on Sydney Harbour
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to wrap up their four-day Australian tour with the salty air of the Harbor and rugby crowds in Sydney this Friday.
For the past three days, Harry and Meghan’s visit has been dominated by conversations about mental health and the personal pressures arising from their public lives.
“After my mother died just before my 13th birthday, I thought: ‘I don’t want this job. I don’t want this role. No matter where it goes, I don’t like it,'” Prince Harry said on Thursday.
It is this lifelong struggle with the public gaze that heralds the couple’s final day in Sydney.
On Friday, the Sussexes, who no longer work for the royal family and live in California, will turn those heavy thoughts away from sports, which Harry has often referred to as “a conduit for recovery.”
The afternoon begins at Man O’War Steps, where the couple will board a boat to join members of the Invictus Australia community.
It’s a return to the roots of the 2018 Sydney Games and a reminder of how much has changed since their first visit as then-senior working royals and a newlywed couple.
Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games, an international adaptive sporting event for wounded, injured and ill service personnel and veterans.
He founded the game in London in 2014 and now Invictus Australia has transitioned from a one-off event to a permanent one, supporting nearly 30,000 veterans with the healing power of sport.
The couple are expected to spend time on the water with veterans and their families, highlighting the Duke and Duchess’s commitment to supporting mental health and strengthening support for the Armed Forces community.
As the tour progresses from a scenic boat ride to a high-stakes rugby match at the Allianz Stadium, Meghan will make a pit stop as she headlines the Her Best Life retreat.
Dubbed the ultimate girls’ retreat, the event is hosted by host Gemma O’Neil in Coogee and tickets start at $2699.
The VIP experience costs even more at $3,199.
Following her speech, the Duchess will return to Moore Park, where she and the Duke will attend the match between the NSW Waratahs and Moana Pacifica.
