A Day of Contrasts and Compassion
On a Tuesday in Melbourne, Meghan Markle made a striking appearance while serving lunch to homeless women at a local shelter. Dressed in designer clothes and priceless gold jewelry, including Princess Diana’s Cartier watch, the scene was as much about fashion as it was about compassion.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had arrived in Australia earlier that morning, touching down at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport shortly after 6:30 am. They flew in from Los Angeles on a Qantas Boeing 787 Dreamliner, choosing to sit together in row three of business class since this particular aircraft does not offer a first-class cabin. According to other passengers, the couple appeared relaxed and refreshed despite the 15-hour flight.
A Dazzling Appearance at the Royal Children’s Hospital
After a brief stop at their city centre hotel, the couple arrived at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne at midday, where they were greeted by a large crowd of well-wishers. While Harry wore a navy blue suit with an open-necked white shirt, Meghan chose a hand-picked Priscilla dress in ink navy from local designer Karen Gee, which retails for $1,250. She paired the dress with Dior’s ‘Dioressence’ pointed-toe pumps, priced up to $1,000.
Meghan also wore 14k yellow gold Puffy Heart earrings by Australian Real Fine Studio, costing $1,118, a Tiffany gold bracelet, and a gold Cartier Tank Française watch—believed to have belonged to Harry’s mother, the late Princess Diana. The latter is now priceless as an historic heirloom, but even without royal connections, the petite yellow-gold timepiece is still worth at least $41,200.
A Visit to the McAuley Homeless Centre
Despite the hefty price tags on her outfit, Meghan warmly greeted the residents and served up zucchini slice for lunch at the McAuley homeless centre in the city’s inner-west. Many of the women are believed to have little more than the clothes they stood up in after fleeing troubled homes and violence.
She covered up her gold-buttoned dress with a butcher’s-style blue and white pinstripe apron but still glistened with gold as she dished up lunch. The Duchess has previously attended women’s homeless facilities in Vancouver, Los Angeles, Bristol, and Dusseldorf during the 2023 Invictus Games.
It’s understood that Meghan handpicked the McAuley facility for a visit. Jocelyn Bignold, CEO of McAuley, said: “It’s very lovely to have attention on the whole issue of homelessness and family violence and she will bring that attention to this facility, so that’s good.”
A Muted Welcome in Melbourne
Some residents were aware of Meghan’s lifestyle show As Ever and looked forward to cooking with her in the centre’s kitchen. For her final appearance of the day, Meghan had a late afternoon wardrobe change, pairing a long skirt with a beige top and toffee suede jacket—matching her husband’s khaki shirt—paired with simple diamond studs to meet the families of veterans at the Australian National Veterans Art Museum.
The couple stepped out of a grey Range Rover at 3:30 pm on the dot, punctual as they had been through every planned event and waving to gathered onlookers. The crowds have been small during the first day of the Sussexes’ visit, in comparison to the rapturous response in 2018 during their royal tour. However, people waiting to catch a glimpse of the couple have been friendly, displaying genuine affection for Harry who they say is more like Aussies than the other royals and a “great bloke.”
A Low-Key Tour Focused on Shared Values
Harry and Meghan’s four-day Australian tour is much more low-key than in 2018, when the then-newlyweds embarked on a 16-day tour of the Pacific. Seven years on, the couple have retained their titles but are no longer working members of the royal family.
The couple will use the privately-funded tour to visit groups that share their values or that they have long supported, with a focus on mental health, community resilience, and support for veterans and their families. On Wednesday, Prince Harry will head to Whitten Oval, the headquarters of AFL club the Western Bulldogs, for a Movember event. He will then travel to Canberra to visit the Australian War Memorial, meet Indigenous veterans, attend an Invictus Australia reception, and participate in the daily Last Post Ceremony.
Harry will return to Melbourne to join Meghan for a guided cultural walk and visit a mental health charity, before he gives the keynote speech at the InterEdge Summit. After arriving in Sydney, the Duke and Duchess are set to sail around the city’s famous harbour with Invictus Australia and attend the Super Rugby Pacific clash between NSW Waratahs and Moana Pasifika. Meghan is the special guest of a three-day luxury women’s retreat in Sydney, where tickets start from $2,699.
