Meghan rejoins Harry for sun-kissed jetty stroll after resting during Fraser Island visit

The Duchess of Sussex rejoined Prince Harry for a sun-kissed walk along a jetty as the pair continued their royal tour of Australia.

Mother-to-be Meghan and Harry strolled along Kingfisher Bay during a visit to Fraser Island on Monday.

Meghan appeared with Harry for the walk, the day's final engagement, after the Prince had set off alone to meet an indigenous tribe tribe.

The pregnant Duchess had stepped back from some items on the royal agenda since the weekend as she is encouraged to rest.

Wearing a striped dress by Reformation and brown leather lace-up sandals, Meghan clutched her baby bump for part of the walk under blue skies in Queensland.

The Duke and Duchess were in receipt of more gifts. Credit: AP

Harry had told his pregnant wife to take it easy as the couple carry out their 16-day tour across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga.

Meghan was glowing as she arrived by car to meet her husband, having spent the morning at their hotel recuperating.

A royal aide said: "She isn't sick, she just had a tiring few days and we were concerned about the roads on the island which are incredibly bumpy and uncomfortable for anyone, let alone a pregnant woman.

"But the duchess was very keen to re-join the duke at the last engagement of the day to greet the people of the island."

The parents-to-be were given gifts including flowers and bears during the walkabout and the duke was taken by a sign reading "Rangas rule", an Australian slang reference to his ginger hair.

As part of the tour, Prince Harry also met with Invictus Games athletes on Sunday.

During an interview with the athletes he was presented with a gift of Australian "budgie smugglers" swimwear, which he tried on while joking with the Australians.

During his meeting with the Butchulla People, Harry joked that being skilled at unveiling plaques "runs in the family" as he dedicated the Forests of K'Gari to the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy.

Harry took part in a traditional Welcome to Country smoking ceremony on Fraser Island, which has the traditional name K’Gari.

Meghan spent a large part of the day at their hotel recuperating. Credit: AP

Aaron Henderson and Darren Blake wafted smoke from a bucket of burning paper bark and blue gum leaves towards him, while songman Fred Bulanyu Leone called out to their ancestors and tapped out a rhythm with a pair of bar gan – “killer boomerangs” – traditionally used for hunting.

The Duke gazed up at the 1,000 year old satinay trees as they led him into the forest to a clearing around a sacred Spirit Tree.

Butchulla land and sea ranger Conway Burns explained: "When we die, we go through an initiation.

"Our spirit goes through our body and through our sacred lakes and up to the sky. It returns to our people in these trees.

"It's great to be standing here, where our people stood hundreds of years ago."

Prince Harry met the Butchulla People. Credit: PA

"This is the best way to see these trees," said the Duke, "standing tall and not logged and chopped."

Before Harry began speaking at the QCC unveiling, local Marilyn Clarke called out: "You are better looking in person!” – to which he replied: “I will take that as a compliment."

He said: "This is actually the second time this plaque has been unveiled which I know is highly unusual.

"The first time was by my father the Prince of Wales in Bundaberg earlier this year when he was visiting.

The Duke of Sussex poses for a photo after the ceremony Credit: Phil Nobel/PA

"I now have the privilege of unveiling it in situ.

"I know that my father came to K’Gari in 1994 for a day off during a royal tour so he has an appreciation of the importance of this place.

"Luckily we are both highly skilled when it comes to unveiling plaques… It runs in the family."

The joke echoes one made by Harry’s grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, who opened a new stand at Lord’s Cricket Ground in 2017 with the quip: "You’re about to see the world’s most experienced plaque-unveiler".

During the tour members of the public congratulated Prince Harry who is expecting his first child in spring.

One woman shouted "I hope it's a girl" to which he responded "so do I".

The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy project was launched in 2015 in recognition of Her Majesty’s service to the group of nations, with countries designating areas of indigenous forest to be preserved in perpetuity.

Harry said: "Forty-two out of the 53 countries are now taking part and I hope that others will join soon.

Meghan was resting after a reduced schedule on Sunday Credit: Chris Jackson/Invictus Games/PA

"The programme is committed to raising awareness of the value of indigenous forests and to saving them for future generations.

"Put simply, without trees and forests, we don’t survive. It is a symbiotic relationship, and one that so many people still fail to realise."

The Duke then watched a dance by children of the Butchulla people and shook hands with all of the children before heading to Lake McKenzie for further engagements.