Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Day 4 tour: Sydney Harbor Bridge climb

The Duke of Sussex The Sydney Harbor Bridge is a spectacular blue-sky afternoon, along with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, to raise the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 flag.

They were joined by the Australian Invictus Games team – Luke Hill, Ruth Hunt, Heidi Joosten and Michael Lyddiard.

Also along for the exhilarating experience is Gwen Cherne, whose late husband Peter Cafe served in Cambodia, Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq.

When the group reaches the top of the bridge, it is a very special day.

The Morrison found himself at the back of Harry and not overly visible to the photographer.

But with a crucial by-election coming up tomorrow, the PM did not want to miss out on the high-profile photo opportunity.

Mr Morrison quickly moved to a gap, before moving back again, so he made it into the shot. It prompted a laugh from the royal when he realised what was going on.

Ms Cherne, who is an ambassador for the Invictus Games, said the Duke took the time to share personal moments while on the climb.

"He did not care what the agenda was. He took the time to have conversations and he was really lovely. We talked about real issues, "she said.

"He was comfortable and calm. We were having thoughtful conversations while walking up – it was actually relaxing. "

While she was not there today, Ms Cherne got the chance to spend time with Harry's wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, earlier this week.

"I was close enough to see the freckles," she laughed. "She has this energy, light and beauty that you see in the media and it's the same in person.

"They're both good with the public and show such interest – it's something we could learn from."

Tourists and locals gathered to the famous arches to catch a long-distance glimpse of the royal some 130 meters above.

When the climbers came down, Harry made a swift exit through the middle of the Bridge, waving to onlookers as he drove past.

Cara Mygind, the head of communications at Bridge Climb, completed the adventure with Harry and said "loved every second of it".

"He was incredibly happy the whole time," she said.

"Both he and the PM climbed really well. Prince Harry was really excited and humbled to be climbing the bridge with Invictus competitors. And that's all about – time with the competitors. "

Meghan kept her feet firmly on the ground this afternoon.

She was originally expected to do the Bridge Climb, but this is the last time she's been here.

It was not clear why until Monday, when the couple announced they were pregnant with their first child.

The PM joked in a radio interview with Nova's Fitzy and Wippa this morning that Harry was getting "to climb the Bridge with a fat middle-aged guy".

"I've done so much, but I'm actually going to the bridge, so it's part of the tourist clothes now – you get to climb the bridge with a fat middle aged guy. "

He said the Harbor Bridge was the perfect Australian icon on which to raise the Invictus flag.

"It will be especially wonderful for the Duke and me to share this moment with members of the Australian team before they get ready to compete for Australia."

Waiting at the base of the Harbor Bridge was a familiar face – Daphne Dunne, the 98-year-old who is perhaps Harry's biggest fan.

She had met her first time at the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday, with Meghan for the first time.

Channel 7 spoke with Ms Dunne today, who said she was cold.

"What happened there? I just saw him, "she told the reporter.

The Invictus Games Sydney 2018 flag will replace the NSW flag, until the Closing Ceremony on Saturday October 27th.

The Games, which were founded by Harry, kick off tomorrow, with 500 athletes from 18 countries competing in 11 medal sports.

Sydney 2018, I'm excited to see the flag flying in the city of Sydney. "Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

It's believed Meghan took a brief break at Admiralty House this afternoon while Harry was on top of the Bridge.

Later, the opposite of Bill Morrison, Mr Morrison holds an informal meeting with Meghan.

REPUBLICAN SHORTEN MEETS ROYAL COUPLE

Bill Shorten may be a staunch republican but he did not show it when he met the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The opposition leader, who has vowed to give Australians a vote on whether to become a prime minister, was all smiles when he put the couple at Admiralty House on Friday.

"Very nice to meet you, real thrill," Mr Shorten said as he shook hands with the Duke and Duchess.

Mr Shorten's wife, Chloe, wore a short-sleeve green lace dress to the engagement, while Meghan stayed in the navy noon dress with a light blue trim by London-based label Roksanda that she had changed into a western Sydney girls' school.

"There's a lot going on," Prince Harry admitted when Mr. Shorten asked about the couple's busy schedule.

The royals with Minister Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny at Kirribilli House next door.

"This is such a lovely spot," Prince Harry told the Prime Minister, who is against becoming a republic.

"It's not bad," Mr. Morrison joked.

The Morrisons' daughters, Abbey and Lily, waited in a room, no doubt in the hope they'd get to meet a real-life princess.

The Royal Couple told the PM and his wife that they were excited to visit Fiji in the coming days.

"There's about 300,000 Fijians who live in Sydney," Mr Morrison told them.

The intimate engagement was a welcome distraction for the Prime Minister, who faces a hung parliament if his party does not hold the seat of Wentworth in Saturday's by-election.

STUDENTS MOST SMITTEN WITH MEGHAN

A group of Macarthur schoolgirls are still starstruck after the royals visited their school earlier today, but it was not that they were swooning over.

With a laugh, one girl said the school had no idea the princesses were coming, with teachers saying only Premier Gladys Berejiklian would be visiting today.

"They did not tell us the royals were coming. If I knew, I would have looked nicer, "she told Ten News with a laugh.

The reporter asked: "Got a bit of a crush on Harry, do you?"

"I think I like Meghan more," she replied.

"Yeah, have a crush on Meghan more!" Said another student with a laugh.

The girls are still in their aftermath after being heckled by HSC exams today.

"It was amazing!" They said. "Meghan was waving at us, and we got a glimpse of Harry as well, so it was a really good atmosphere, to be honest. . "

They said they heard Meghan saying she felt very lucky to be visiting the school and witnessing the program.

One of the girls added a positive nod to Meghan's mixed heritage, saying: "I love how they're an interracial couple, that's the first time that's ever happened. That's a life for me, for people of color, because I do not see that much happening. "

The Duke and Duchess at the Parramatta School, who were involved with the NRL In League in the Harmony Youth Advocate program.

The pair smiled as they watched a group of girls perform a beautifully choreographed dance for them outdoors. They then went indoors where students gave a presentation outlining their work on the project.

Both Harry and Meghan changed from their casual Bondi look forward to the day.

Meghan wore a long navy dress with nude heels, while Harry opted for a checkered button-down shirt with a dark blazer, paired with beige chinos.

MEGHAN'S UNUSUAL FAN GIFT

Meghan received a strange unusual gift from an avid royals fan at Bondi Beach this morning – a bunch of carrots.

The Duchess looked over the moon as he admired the heralded gift, which was certainly more unique than the usual flowers and chocolates.

"Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed the fan handed them to her. "Thank you so much!"

She's coming to Prince Harry's attention. "Look, we got some veggies," she said.

"Fantastic," he responded.

Local woman Molly, who filmed the interaction, said the fan was dressed like a carrot.

It would not be that unusual – all the bright tutus and colorful flower headbands on display at Bondi this morning. Another woman was even dressed like a giant tomato.

Since it's Bondi, at least we can assume the veggies were organic.

DUCHESS CRADLES BABY BUMP DURING BONDI WALK

Meghan cradled her baby bump during her visit to Bondi Beach with Harry this morning.

The royal pair looked relaxed and happy as they spoke with locals, both rocking a more casual and summery look than they did in rainy Melbourne yesterday.

Prince Harry wore a sky blue button-up shirt loosely tucked into beige chino pants, while Meghan had a hair-on-a-ponytail and wore a full-length striped dress by Aussie designer Martin Grant.

Her sleeveless maxi featured red and khaki stripes with a square neckline, which she teamed with a pair of black wedge sneakers by Castaner and a teardrop necklace by Adina Reyter.

Kensington Palace announced that Meghan and Harry were expecting their first child on Monday, when they first came to Australia for their first international tour.

HARRY'S NEW BEST MATE

Prince Harry is no stranger to battles with mental health – and he's encouraging everyone to open up about the issues.

He and Meghan spent the morning at Bondi Beach, participating in a group event with local mental health organization OneWave.

OneWave founder Grant Trebilco said he was instantly connected with the Prince, who he described as "relaxed and nice".

"It felt like we're best mates," he told Nine News.

"When you share stories about mental health … it can turn people that you just put in the best mates in seconds because you've been through struggles and shared them. We had good banter. "

The founder also said he "tried to get them to surfboard but we ran out of time".

Local mum Charlotte Connel, who also participated in the OneWave group circle, said Harry spoke about the importance of communicating your feelings and letting people know when things are not going well.

"Harry opened up on the power of communicating and how to open up and get down to mental stigma and how it's OK to not be OK. And that (when people realize that), the world's going to be better off for it, "Charlotte said.

Highlighting mental health has been running theme for both Harry and Meghan this week.

On Wednesday, the Prince delivered an emotional message about depression and mental health issues.

"We know that suicide in rural and remote areas are more important than in urban areas and that it is especially true among young people in remote regions," he said in a speech in Dubbo.

"But it's all here that I also know. You are one huge community and with that comes a unparalleled level of internal support and understanding.

"All you need to do is to ask for it. Ask your neighbor, your peer, your fellow farmer is literally right around the corner.

"Chances are they will be suffering too much and they will be relying on the opportunity to listen to themselves."

Harry has previously opened up about his 20-year-old battle, last year telling The Telegraph he "shut down all his emotions" Diana, the Princess of Wales.

He said he will be working on the strength of counselors and is now "in a good place".

MEGHAN AN INSTANT HIT WITH AUSSIES

She baked her special homemade banana bread for a family of Aussie farmers in Dubbo.

She had her umbrella at the ready when she was giving birth.

Now, she's proving herself a disciplinarian yoga who does not hit the snooze button like the rest of us. Meghan, we are not worthy.

On her way to Australia, she revealed that she was up to 4.30am for a yoga session.

"It was so good for healing your mind," she told the group of OneWave members.

Locals could not get enough of a positive attitude and sound advice on mental health.

For Ms Connel and her two-year-old her little Finn, this was a regular morning – just with a royal touch.

"We do this every Friday – the anti-bad vibes circle and then we go surfing or do yoga," the One Wave member told news.com.au.

Ms Connel, who is pregnant, said Meghan noticed her bump and asked about the pregnancy.

"She also said yoga," she said. "She said she was up to 4.30 this morning to do yoga."

Meghan's mother Doria Ragland is a yoga teacher in Los Angeles, and the Duchess has been practicing yoga regularly since she was a teenager.

Meghan also spoke about the importance of being able to make good health, noting the negative impact of social media.

Jessina Oakes, who spent 15 minutes in a yoga group speaking with the royal couple, told news.com.au Meghan said "criticism and flattery all come through the same filter of social media".

"She said, 'We always hold on to the negative. There's always this amazing feedback, but we're on the criticism ', "Ms Oakes said Meghan told the group.

"She talked about growing up in this generation and the pressures of social media because there is so much criticism we experience."

The Duchess said yoga helped keep her "grounded".

"She felt connected doing yoga in the mornings," Jessina said.

"Like Harry, she said she felt very fortunate to be able to share positive experiences with groups like OneWave."

Other excited locals noted the pregnant royal tried to shake as many hands as possible, despite the couple being rushed along.

Bridget Slipper, 33, and Hermione Davis, 34, came down to the beach at 6am and said it was "worth the wait" to get a quick greeting from Meghan.

"It's all paid off," Hermione said. "It was a long time but the wait to get the royal handshake."

Meghan and Harry where swiftly ushered along the metal barricade to meet fans and did not have the time to stop it.

"She did not say anything but she was so nice and tried to shake everyone's hand," Bridget said.

The moment was extra special for Ms Davis, who has also recently found out she's expecting her first child.

"I'm due around April too," she joked.

Everyone on social media is clearly impressed with the Duchess of Sussex.

ROYAL COUPLE'S BIZARRE BONDI VISIT

Meghan and Harry have gone full Bondi.

The couple's arrival on the iconic Australian beach has been taken to a strange and colorful start as they were given colorful leis and participated in an "anti-bad vibes" circle on the sand.

The crowds lining the beach screamed the motorcade made its way down Notts Ave.

Harry and Meghan swiftly got their way down the steps of the Southern Down Under Tour.
As they reached the sand, they were given a pink and blue floral leis to wear.

The Duke and Duchess then sat in an "anti-bad vibe" circle with 20 members of OneWave, a non-profit surfing community that raises awareness for mental health.

After 15 minutes of discussing mental health issues, the surfers on the sand with Meghan and Harry put their arms around each other for a group hug.

While holding hands, the royal couple then stood up in their leis and started chatting on the beach with the colorfully-dressed surfers, with Meghan putting on a second lei.

If Meghan and Harry's got to shine a spotlight on mental health issues, they seem to have succeeded – OneWave's website crashed after Bondi.

They hugged members of the Bondi yoga group and walked along the waterfront to a group of board riders.

They laughed and smiled as they posed for group photos.

SNIPERS ON THE ROOF FOR ROYAL BONDI VISIT

Security was out in full strength for the event.

Royal fans lining the iconic beach yelled "There's a sniper on the roof!" As two police dressed in black and holding guns appeared on a high-rise apartment block overlooking the southern end of Bondi Beach.

As with any royal visit, there is a heavy security presence on the ground that they look more colorful than ever in their leis.
Barriers were erected on the beach, where board riders appeared to be heard from Bondi's famous southern end surfing spot.

Security frisked the crowd at the barrier, checking the audience might have for the royal couple.

"Have you got any knuckle dusters or knives?" On lei-wearing official jokingly asked a woman as she showed up the contents of her bag.
It was a step down from Tuesday's Opera House visit though, where royal fans had to enter the area through a security check and scanned their bags.

No checks were in place at Bondi today.

CROWDS GATHER ON BONDI BEACH

Fans were gathering on the golden sands of Bondi from 6am this morning – and one pair prepared the most Aussie gift for Meghan and Harry.

Jarrod Allen and Giovani Testini rolled up the traditional bondi Bondi welcome – in budgie smugglers.

They even came with a tiny pair of swimmers for the royal baby.

"We did it when his brother came last time," Jarrod said of Prince William's 2014 visit.

There were plenty of unique outfits on display, including colorful tutus, neon headdresses – and even a giant tomato costume.

British university student Lissy Broad, 20, was there for one reason.

"My mum's a huge fan. She camped out for their wedding. I'm here to rub it in her face, "she laughed while applying mascara, in case she meets the prince.

Then there was young Sunni, who waited to get Harry's attention with a single message:

Local mum Athena brought together two kids James, 9, and Helena, 11 down to catch a glimpse of the couple before school.

"We've always been fans of Harry but even more like Meghan came on the scene," Athena said. She's an everyday individual. It's nice to have someone down to earth. "

Originally published as PM's desperate bid for Harry pic