A Final Day in Sydney
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex concluded their four-day tour of Australia in Sydney, where they enjoyed the salty air of the Harbour, the sea and sand of Bondi, and a vibrant rugby crowd. Their final day was filled with meaningful interactions and a mix of reflection and celebration.
In the last stop of their Down Under visit, the couple met with volunteer first responders from the Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club. The smiling duke was pictured chatting up with some beaming volunteers in their iconic yellow and red uniforms, while the duchess shook hands beside her husband in the club’s hall. They appeared in numerous group selfies, wearing shades of blue.
Both former royals appeared relaxed in the sunny weather, taking off their shoes to walk barefoot on Bondi’s golden sands surrounded by a sea of curious members of the public and the Surf Life Saver volunteers.
For the past three days, Harry and Meghan’s visit has been dominated by conversations on mental health and the personal pressures of their public life. Prince Harry shared his own struggles during a speech on Thursday, saying: “After my mum died just before my 13th birthday – I was like: ‘I don’t want this job. I don’t want this role – wherever this is headed, I don’t like it’.”
It is this lifelong grappling with the public gaze that informs the couple’s final day in Sydney. On Friday, the Sussexes – who are no longer working royals and live in California – will pivot from these heavy reflections to sport, which Harry has often cited previously as “a conduit for healing”.
The afternoon kicked off at the Man O’War Steps, where the couple boarded a boat to join members of the Invictus Australia community. This was a return to the roots of the 2018 Sydney Games and served as a reminder of how much had changed since their first visit, back then, they arrived as senior working royals and a newly married couple.
Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games, an international adaptive sporting event for wounded, injured, and sick service personnel and veterans. He established the game in London in 2014, and now, Invictus Australia has also transitioned from a one-off event into permanency, supporting nearly 30,000 veterans through the rehabilitative power of sport.
The couple are expected to spend time on the water with veterans and their families, highlighting the Duke and Duchess’s continued commitment to supporting mental health and strengthening support for the Armed Forces community.
As the tour moves from a scenic boat ride to the high-stakes rugby game at Allianz Stadium, Meghan will be making a pit stop as she headlines the Her Best Life retreat. Dubbed as the ultimate girls retreat, the event is held by host Gemma O’Neil at Coogee, with tickets starting at a staggering $2699. The VIP experience costs even more at $3199.
After her speech, the Duchess will return to Moore Park where she and the Duke will attend a game between the NSW Waratahs and Moana Pasifika.
