It’s not every day that you cross paths with royalty, let alone speak with them at length or get a selfie, but that’s exactly what happened for a very special group of Aussie women on Friday, April 17th.
Unbeknownst to the public, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would be taking part in a spontaneous meet and greet with members of the public under the steps of the Sydney Opera House, ahead of a scheduled engagement with Invictus Australia.
It was a whirlwind 15 minutes for Jacqui Jones, who, through her business Flourish Events, had brought together 21 Tasmanian women, most of whom were strangers at the beginning of the trip, to Sydney for a long weekend focused on adventure, personal growth, and unforgettable experiences.
Speaking exclusively with New Idea, Jacqui, 49, says the “unforgettable” encounter was something the group could never have predicted.
“We were on our way to the Royal Botanical Gardens. We had a tour scheduled for the Sydney Opera House at just after 12 o’clock. So, we were just going to go and have a look around. I made a joke that morning and said, ” ‘Maybe we’ll run into Harry and Megan’ [because] we knew they were in town.”
After seeing that a fence had been erected, the media gathered, and their path to the gardens blocked, the group quickly discovered that they would indeed have the opportunity to see and speak with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex if they stuck around.
“When they appeared, we were all full of joy and having fun….I’m a massive royal fan from way back, and a big fan of Diana. So to get to chat with her son was a big highlight,” Lisa Perry, 62, tells New Idea.
While the women were initially unsure what the best protocol was for interacting with royalty, they described their time with the proud parents of two as incredibly casual.
“I was patting him on the back, putting my arm around him. We were holding hands, shaking hands. Protocol just went out the window because they just seemed so natural and really interested in just having a chat with us, with ordinary Aussie girls. It was really nice,” she adds.
New Idea was there to capture their meeting with the red-haired royal, who was eventually joined by his wife, Meghan.
In our exclusive footage, Harry is heard excitedly asking the women about the reason behind their trip to Sydney.
“He actually spoke to us for ages. I thought he would just say hello and keep walking,” Jacqui says.
Fellow group member Karen Palmer, 59, chimes in: “They were just so natural, and they came across to me as very genuine, and Harry just seemed like so much fun and such a good sport.”
While the whirlwind visit from the high-profile did attract a fair share of criticism, the women are all steadfast in their support of the polarising pair.
“Love them or hate them. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but to look around and see the joy on people’s faces…. that’s what we need at the moment with all this horrible stuff going on in the world,” Karen also reflects.
“We were all just absolutely thrilled.”
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