Swapping sunny Montecito for sunny Melbourne, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle touched down in Australia on Monday night, eight years after they visited as newlyweds on their first overseas tour after the royal wedding. In the years since, the couple stepped down as senior royals and started a new independent life in California, but they still lined up a host of charitable engagements for their informal tour, which has taken them to Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.
Life may look very different now to the last time she was Down Under, but Meghan’s chosen outfit for day one wasn’t a major departure from her original tour uniform: she wore a sleeveless dress by Australian label Karen Gee (she’s still doing diplomatic dressing even post-palace), paired with Dior shoes and jewellery from Real Fine Studio.
Monochrome remains a constant in the Duchess’s public facing wardrobe: she tends to stick to neutral creams and khakis, a palette she also leaned on during the couple’s tour of Jordan earlier this year, where she wore multiple looks by Veronica Beard. The same pared-back approach was on display again, echoed in the suede St Agni skirt and jacket – another Aussie brand – she later chose for a visit to the Australian National Veterans’ Art Museum.
On Thursday (16 April), the Duchess turned to another Australian label, Friends with Frank, for a shift dress she paired with Manolos and vintage Chanel earrings, and a camel trench that she wore over an Alliance of Moms tee emblazoned with the word “Mama”. Visiting the Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club on Friday (17 April) she opted for an oversized striped shirt from Matteau and cream jeans from Rolla’s, and later a trench coat to take in a rugby game on the final night of their visit.