WELCOME to the first day of our Royal Tour coverage — and what a day to start on! Meghan Markle is pregnant with her first child and will give birth in the British spring next year.
Aussies will be the first to congratulate the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry in person, with the pair embarking on a 16-day tour starting at Admiralty House in Kirribilli.
The pair will then move on to Taronga Zoo and Sydney Opera House later today.
FIRST SIGHTING OF DUKE AND DUCHESS
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have just arrived at Admiralty House just after 9am.
Governor-General Peter Cosgrove and Lady Cosgrove presented them with a stuffed kangaroo.
All eyes were on the royal baby bump as the pair made their arrival, with the Duchess of Sussex donning a minimalist white dress by Australian designer Karen Gee.
SYDNEYSIDERS BEGIN FILING THROUGH SECURITY
The first locals have started filing through security and lining the metal barricades at the base of the Opera House.
Construction workers are putting together the finishing touches on railing and platforms.
Despite the impending chaos, some determined Sydneysiders aren’t letting a royal visit mess with their usual routines.
Morning joggers have been getting checked through security just to complete their usual run along the Harbour.
— James Weir
‘I’M SO HAPPY FOR HIM’
The Royal Tour wouldn’t be complete without a visit from the woman who famously stole Prince Harry’s heart.
Daphne Dunne, the 98-year-old war widow who famously stole a kiss from Harry when he visited in 2015, is camped outside the Opera House waiting for him.
“I don’t think he’s changed very much,” she told The Today Show this morning. When asked what makes him so special, she said: “Oh, he’s a natural. He just loves what he’s doing. It seems to fit in with everything he says. I’m very happy for him. I’m glad he’s got a wife now, and soon a bubba.”
Oh — and she also said he smells “quite nice”.
Asked what the pair spoke about during their 2015 encounter, she said he was drawn to her late husband’s Victoria Cross, which she was wearing.
“He said, ‘That’s what attracted me over here’. I said, ‘Well you should, because your mother, you know, produces them to us’. He said, ‘I’m glad I came over.’
“And we were chatting for a little while and they kept saying to him, ‘We’ve got to go, we’ve got to go’, and he didn’t worry about that. He just continued on with what he was doing, which was talking to me, and then when he started to go he gave me a kiss on the cheek. And then he came back later and gave me another one because I was lop-sided, and had to have another kiss to put me right.”
Asked if she had any gifts for them, Daphne said: “Flowers and that they will be very, very happy. I think that’s more important than any gift — to wish them happiness.”
Bless.
‘WE HAD NO IDEA THEY WERE COMING’
Engaged couple Diego Wang, 22, and Hannah Li, 25, thought it would be a “quiet day” to take some pre-wedding photographs on the steps of the Opera House.
“We had no idea they were coming,” Wang laughed about the royal couple’s Harbour visit.
“We thought it would be quiet and not too many people - but when we got here we found out they were arriving.”
The students, who are getting married at home in China next year, decided two months ago to take professional photographs in their wedding outfits in front of the iconic landmark.
Arriving at the Opera House in full gown and suit, they’re the only couple who could take the attention off the royals today.
Locals have been slowly arriving this morning, moving through security checks to find prime viewing spots when the Duke and Duchess arrive by boat later today.
— James Weir
POLICE WAITING OUTSIDE ADMIRALTY HOUSE
An official motorcade of 11 police motorcycles arrived to Admiralty House in Sydney’s Kirribilli just before 7.30am, escorting two vehicles through the front gates.
Duties have well and truly started with around 20 police officers manning the gates ahead of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s first official engagement with Governor General Peter Cosgrove.
Volunteers have arrived at the site, but all are declining to comment at this stage.
— Vanessa Brown
MEGHAN ‘DID NOT TELL’ FATHER ABOUT PREGNANCY
When Duchess Meghan broke her baby news to the Royal Family, her mother Doria was thrilled.
The 62-year-old issued a statement last night saying she was “very happy at this lovely news and is looking forward to welcoming her first grandchild”.
But according to royal reporters, Kensington Palace refused to comment on whether Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle, had also been told in advance.
Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland issued a statement through Kensington Palace saying she was ‘very happy at this lovely news and is looking forward to welcoming her first grandchild.’
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) October 15, 2018
Kensington Palace declined to comment on whether her father, Thomas Markle, had been told.
Now, sources are claiming he didn’t find out until Kensington Palace announced it to the world last night.
“Meghan did not tell Thomas Markle about the pregnancy,” a source told Us Weekly just hours after the announcement. “He found out the same time as the rest of the world.”
Meghan’s strained relationship with her father has been well-noted since the wedding. The 74-year-old has previously referred to the royal family as “cult-like” and compared them to the Church of Scientology, and he did not attend the couple’s nuptials.
By contrast, the source said Meghan gave her mum Doria Ragland the good news straight away.
“Doria is so delighted about the news of her first grandchild,” the source told Us. “Doria has been helping Meghan through this time in her life immensely. Meghan really looks to Doria for all advice in anything she does.”
Thomas was spotted shopping alone for groceries in San Ysidro, California, as the pair announced the news to the Royal Family on Friday, the day of Princess Eugenie’s wedding.
He was spotted buying beers, pot pies and firewood from the store near his home in Rosarito, Mexico, and appeared to be in high spirits, The Daily Mail reports.
PIPPA MIDDLETON ARRIVES AT LINDO WING
Heavily-pregnant Pippa Middleton has spotted arriving at the Lindo Wing maternity unit, just days after the royal wedding.
The younger sister of the Duchess of Cambridge is said to have been joined at the private hospital with her financier husband James Matthews, The Sun reports.
Hubby James was pictured carrying two overnight bags as they entered the wing — a £78 Cam Cam Copenhagen baby changing bag and another holdall.
Eyewitnesses say Pippa, 35, was seen smiling as she entered the Lindo Wing, where her nephews Prince George and Prince Louis and niece Princess Charlotte were born.
Pippa has already visited the exclusive Lindo Wing, where Kate Middleton gave birth to all three of her children.
The Duchess of Cambridge posed on the steps of the ward with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, shortly after each of their births.
The Lindo Wing is believed to be valued at £7500-per-night ($AU14,000).
The pricey ward is popular with royals, with Princess Diana having both of her children there, and she also stood for photos on the steps with Prince William and Harry.
Pippa and James were spotted visiting the wing, in St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, which is a stone’s throw from their £17 million ($AU31.3 million) mansion in Chelsea earlier on in her pregnancy.
— Lauren Fruen
DUKE AND DUCHESS EXPECTING A BABY
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is pregnant with her first child and will give birth in the British spring next year.
The confirmation ends days of speculation about whether the 37-year-old and Prince Harry, 34, were about to become parents.
Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019. pic.twitter.com/Ut9C0RagLk
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) October 15, 2018
The world has gone wild over the happy news, but Aussies will be the first to congratulate the pair in person, with the royals beginning their 16-day tour of Australia today.
Rumours have been floating since Princess Eugenie’s wedding on Friday, where Meghan wore a loose-fitting navy coat. When she didn’t take off her jacket in the church, speculation started up.
The rumours continued when the pair touched down in Sydney yesterday and Meghan was pictured carrying a stack of binder folders in front of her stomach.
“Victoria” is top of the bookies odds on girls’ names, while “James” is leading the way for boys.
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Royal Tour, Day 1: Prince Harry and Meghan start official tour"
Post a Comment