Prince Harry and Meghan Markle return to Melbourne for day three of Australia tour – see best photos

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle returned to Australia for the first time since 2018 for a four-day whirlwind tour

rince Harry and Meghan Markle kicked off the penultimate day of their whirlwind Australia tour with a return to Melbourne after the Duke spent time at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on Wednesday.

The couple appeared relaxed as they joined an Aboriginal walking tour, the Scar Tree Walk, which connects the history and culture of the local Kulin Peoples.

Meghan looked stylish in Rollas jeans, a white Alliance for Moms ‘Mama’ tee with a red heart emblazoned on the front in honor of her friend, Kelly McKee Zajfen, and a Friends with Frank khaki jacket with white Freda Salvador sneakers to complete the look. Harry sported black trousers and a blue button-up shirt for the occasion.

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Scar Tree Walk

They began by walking along the Yarra River, where they viewed local Indigenous art, before heading over William Barak Bridge to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which is built over a traditional Kulin meeting place.

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Meghan and Harry took selfies with onlookers and supporters as they walked along the stunning Yarra River with their guides from the Koori Heritage Trust.

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Harry stopped to speak to Rohan Davies and his toddler, Heidi, before asking what her favorite color was. “Heidi asked him and he said blue,” Rohan told the media.

“She said dark purple – he said that she had a beautiful top on and I just asked whether I could take a picture and he said ‘Yeah.’”

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Local jogger Sofia Rocha got the surprise of her life when she passed the couple while running along the Yarra. “They were looking very nice and seemed patient and really open to talking to people,” she shared.

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Following the Scar Tree Walk, Harry and Meghan will visit a mental health engagement program in the city and attend the InterEdge Summit together.

Their four-day tour of Australia has seen the duo make appearances at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, as well as a local women’s shelter and the Australian National Veterans’ Art Museum.

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The second day saw Harry take the lead by visiting the Movember charity in Melbourne and the Australian War Memorial in the nation’s capital. Meanwhile, Meghan was busy filming a guest judge spot on MasterChef Australia, which will begin airing on April 19.

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On the move

Following the Scar Tree Walk, Harry and Meghan visited a mental health engagement program, Batyr, at Swinburne University of Technology. Meghan changed into a green shift dress for the occasion, and added black pantyhose and black stiletto heels.

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Meghan and Harry greeted and hugged mental health advocates at the university.

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The pair have long been passionate about mental health initiatives.

The Duke shared that he thought Australia’s ban on social media use for under-16’s was “epic”.

“Australia took the lead. Your government was the first country in the world to bring about a ban,” he said to the crowd at Swinburne.

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“Now we can sit here and debate the pros and cons of a ban – I’m not here to judge that. All I will say is from a responsibility and leadership standpoint – epic. Because so many countries have now followed suit, but it should have never got to a ban.”

“And now that the ban is in place, now what follows? Because the companies themselves have to be accountable, and there’s no way that young people should be punished by being banned from something that should be safe to use, no matter what.”

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Meanwhile, Meghan explained that she was “bullied and attacked” on social media, and called herself “the most trolled person in the entire world”.

“They’re not incentivised to stop,” she said during the event. “And I can speak to that really personally, which is why I like to listen, because it rings true for me in a very real way. For now, ten years, every day for ten years, I have been bullied and attacked.”

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“Now, I’m still here,” the Duchess continued.

“And when I think of all of you and what you’re experiencing, I think so much of that is having to realize that you know that industry, that billion dollar industry, that is completely anchored and predicated on cruelty to get clicks – that’s not going to change. So you have to be stronger than that.”

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Speaking out

Meghan and Harry’s next stop was at the InterEdge Summit, where Harry delivered the keynote speech on Thursday afternoon on the topics of “leadership, psychosocial safety and human connection in the workplace”.

“When something unhealthy becomes normal, we stop questioning. And nowhere is that more visible than in the digital world because many of the systems shaping our reality, our attention, our self-worth and our relationships were not built around human well-being,” he said in his speech.

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“Too many of these platforms are not designed with safety in mind. They’re designed for engagement, to draw people in, to keep them there, to shape behavior.”

He continued: “And we know these companies have the capability to understand who their users are. They can target young people with extraordinary precision…but when it comes to protecting those same young people, we are told that it’s too difficult, too complex, but it can’t be done.”

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Harry also spoke about his personal experiences with grief, betrayal and external pressure that lead to overwhelming feelings.

“In my experience, loss is disorienting at any age. Grief does not disappear because we ignore it. Experiencing that as a kid while in a goldfish bowl under constant surveillance, yes, that will have its challenges. And without purpose, it can break you,” he explained.

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“There have been many times when I’ve felt overwhelmed. Times when I’ve felt lost, betrayed, or completely powerless. Times when the pressure – externally and internally – felt constant. And times when, despite everything going on, I still had to show up pretending everything was okay, so as not to let anyone down.”

The father of two added that when he became a parent, he worked to find support for himself and his family. “For me, one of the biggest shifts came when I realized that asking for help isn’t a weakness. It’s very much a form of strength.”