The Duchess of Sussex is not standing on ceremony Down Under.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have kicked off their four-day visit to Australia, where they’ll take in Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney across a packed schedule of charitable, philanthropic, and commercial engagements.
And on day one, the Duchess wasted no time setting the tone.
When a guest at the Australian National Veterans’ Art Museum asked how the pair would like to be addressed, according to The Telegraph, Harry’s response was “however you like.”
And Meghan’s was even simpler: “Call me Meg?”
It seems the laid-back Australian attitude has rubbed off on the pair almost immediately.
Earlier in the day, when staff at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne had asked the couple’s aides the same question ahead of their visit, the answer was equally casual.
“Harry and Meghan is fine. They’re pretty relaxed,” reports The Telegraph.
Royal protocol dictates that members of the family are addressed as “Your Royal Highness” then “Sir” or “Ma’am.”
However, while Harry and Meghan retain their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, granted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018.
They are no longer working members of the Royal Family and ceased using their “His/Her Royal Highness” (HRH) titles in 2020.
The couple kicked off their visit by hugging patients at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, posing for selfies and accepting flowers and welcome cards from the hundreds of well-wishers who turned out to greet them.
Meghan later visited a women’s shelter before rejoining Harry at the veterans’ museum, with the trip focused on mental health, community resilience, and support for veterans and their families.
The Sydney leg of the visit includes Meghan headlining the Her Best Life retreat at the five-star InterContinental Coogee Beach.
A handful of last-minute tickets were still available as of today, with the Her Best Life Instagram confirming “final last-minute availability.”
This is Prince Harry and Meghan’s second trip to Australia together, after their first visit in 2018.
The couple’s two children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, will remain at home in Montecito.
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