In brief
- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Australian visit is seen as an experiment for the couple's commercial activities.
- Unlike the couple's 2018 visit, when they spent nine days travelling across Australia, this one is privately funded.
A visit seemingly fit for royalty is set to serve as a commercial experiment for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as their Australian tour enters its second day.
Prince Harry and Meghan have another busy day planned on Wednesday, meeting charity representatives at the headquarters of AFL team the Western Bulldogs in Melbourne before Harry flies to Canberra for events at the Australian War Memorial.
The four-day visit could be mistaken for an official royal tour with its charitable appearances, hospital visits, and fanfare, although the pair are no longer working royals and are visiting in a private capacity.
The visit is not unusual, according to University of Sydney history professor and monarchy expert Cindy McCreery, who told the Australian Associated Press it was likely for marketing purposes.
"The fact they have chosen Australia as the place to do this activity, it does reflect that way that Australia could add to their brand," McCreery said.
"We also need to be aware that their options are somewhat limited, they could not do this trip in Britain. That absolutely would not be supported.
"Australia's an experiment and it will be interesting to see whether this leads to future visits to other countries, with the same kind of combination of charitable and commercial activities."
The visit marks the couple's first since 2018, when they spent nine days travelling across Australia.
Excited crowds gathered to greet the pair on Tuesday, meeting families and youngsters packed inside the foyer at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital.
After the hospital, the duke and duchess toured a centre delivering support to women and children experiencing family violence and homelessness, before visiting the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum.
Harry will return to Melbourne on Wednesday night before joining Meghan for the Scar Tree Walk, a cultural journey connecting traditional and contemporary Aboriginal cultures.
Commitments will then move toward a more commercial focus, with Harry due to deliver a keynote speech at the InterEdge Psychosocial Safety Summit in Melbourne, where tickets range from about $1,000 to $2,400.
The pair will fly to Sydney on Thursday, where Meghan will headline an exclusive three-day women's retreat pitched as a "girls weekend like no other" with tickets starting at $2,699.
The Duke and Duchess will end their trip in Sydney where they will sail around the harbour and attend a rugby match.
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