Harry and Meghan Begin Australia Tour with Visit to Melbourne Children’s Hospital
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex received a warm welcome as they began their four-day tour of Australia with a visit to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. Hundreds of well-wishers gathered to greet the couple, who spent time meeting young patients, posing for photos, and taking part in activities with children receiving treatment.
During the visit, four-year-old patient Lily presented the couple with a handmade sign reading “Welcome Harry and Meghan” along with a flower. Meghan warmly embraced the young girl, thanking her for the thoughtful gift, while Harry praised the artwork and asked how long it had taken her to create.
The couple also joined patients in a garden therapy session, where they explored plants and flowers. When offered a gumtree to take home, Harry joked that he might get into trouble for trying to bring it back with him.
Later in the day, Meghan visited a women’s refuge run by McAuley Community Services for Women, an organisation that supports women and children facing family violence, homelessness, and other challenges. Wearing an apron, she helped serve frittata to residents and spent time sitting and talking with them. Reflecting on their arrival earlier that day, Meghan commented that jet lag had not yet set in.
The visit attracted strong media attention, with crowds gathering to see the couple as they arrived. Among those in attendance was Christina Parkes, an academic at the University of Melbourne whose daughter is receiving treatment at the hospital. She said the visit was deeply meaningful, highlighting the importance of the hospital’s work in saving children’s lives.
Several patients expressed excitement at meeting the couple, including 17-year-old Maya, who described the hospital’s work as “amazing” and said many Australians hold Prince Harry and the royal family in high regard.
The Royal Children’s Hospital has a longstanding connection with the British royal family. Harry’s father, King Charles, visited the hospital with Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1985. Queen Elizabeth II also visited the hospital during her 2011 tour of Australia, after having officially opened an earlier version of the facility in 1963.
Founded in 1870, the hospital has grown from a small six-room building into a major paediatric medical centre employing more than 6,000 staff. It now serves as Victoria’s main trauma centre for children and a nationally recognised facility for cardiac and liver transplants.
The women’s refuge visited by Meghan traces its origins to 1986, when it was established by the Sisters of Mercy. The organisation later merged with Mercy Care in 2008 to form McAuley, which continues to provide housing, crisis support, and recovery programmes aimed at helping women and families rebuild their lives.
