Harry and Meghan touch down in Australia for start of royal tour

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will visit to Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand (PA) Credit: PA Wire/PA Images

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have touched down in Australia ahead of their first royal tour as a married couple.

Harry and Meghan arrived into a rainy Sydney on Monday for the start of a 16-day visit to Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.

The trip, their first outside the UK and Ireland, will officially begin on Tuesday and will see the couple watch the Invictus Games, visit a Sydney zoo and visit the rural Flying Doctor service.

The couple were driven from the airport to Admiralty House, the Sydney residence of Governor General Peter Cosgrove, the representative of the Queen in the country.

Hundreds of people gathered to catch a glimpse of the couple and cheered as their car was driven into the property a short distance from the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The 76 engagements also include visits to schools, greeting members of the public at the Sydney Opera House, and meeting young leaders and community members at Government House.

After Australia, the couple will fly to Fiji, where they will be greeted with an arrival ceremony similar to one attended by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in 1953.

In Fiji, Harry will pay tribute to Fijian war veterans and the couple will attend a state dinner, before flying to Tonga.

The tour will conclude with a four-day trip to New Zealand, where they will be greeted by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

The Duke and Duchess will learn about environmental challenges while in Wellington, visit a charity which supports children with parents in prison, and meet members of the public in Auckland and Rotura.

Harry and Meghan will return to London from Auckland on November 1.

Kensington Palace said in a statement: “There is a long history of friendship between the royal family and Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand, and their links with the UK are extensive.

“The duke and duchess are very much looking forward to experiencing the unique cultures and customs of those four Commonwealth countries and have asked that this tour allow them opportunities to meet as many Australians, Fijians, Tongans, and New Zealanders as possible.”