Press Association
Now that the honeymoon is over, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are wasting no time in jumping into their royal duties.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were seen this past weekend at the Trooping of the Color for the Queen’s birthday, and on Sunday, June 9 the palace announced that the most recent royal couple will be heading to Australia, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga and New Zealand this coming fall for their first official royal tour.
The tour falls perfectly in line with the pair’s already announced trip to Australia for the next Invictus Games which will be held in Sydney from October 20-27. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will undertake an official visit to Australia, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga, and New Zealand in the Autumn,” reads the announcement. “Their Royal Highnesses have been invited to visit the Realms of Australia and New Zealand by the countries’ respective governments. The Duke and Duchess will visit the Commonwealth countries of Fiji and Tonga at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.”
Before their first tour as a couple, Duchess Meghan will be taking on her first solo public duty alongside the Queen as she will be accompanying the monarch to Chester which is about 165 miles northwest of London. The trip will be to officially unveil a new bridge in Wednes, Chesire and to open the Storyhouse Theater. “The Queen knows the potential pitfalls of not giving [new members] a guiding hand,” Ingrid Seward, author of the recent biography of the Queen and Prince Philip, My Husband & I, told PEOPLE. “It’s all about the monarchy. She can’t expect Meghan to know everything without being shown.”
“She doesn’t want 70 years of hard work to be for nothing,” added Seward. ”I’m sure she feels Meghan needs a steadying hand in these early days.”
Telisa Carter
Telisa enjoys learning and writing about all things entertainment in the world of Hollywood. When she isn't catching up on her favorite TV shows, she likes to read, and obsess over all things football.
