Harry & Meghan: Tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand - October 2018

[Zaira]

Thanks Fros. 2.5 weeks makes sense. I will admit, I am a little bit worried about them trying to fit in tour stops during IG. I think IG deserves their complete attention. Some visits around and in Sydney make sense, but I am not pleased that they will be going to Tonga during the Games.

Hopefully, more information and clarity will ease my concerns.

Harry's last tour of OZ and NZ were both smashing successes, especially the NZ leg. I am excited to see him back there with his wife!

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by Zaira

Thanks Fros. 2.5 weeks makes sense. I will admit, I am a little bit worried about them trying to fit in tour stops during IG. I think IG deserves their complete attention. Some visits around and in Sydney make sense, but I am not pleased that they will be going to Tonga during the Games.

Hopefully, more information and clarity will ease my concerns.

Harry's last tour of OZ and NZ were both smashing successes, especially the NZ leg. I am excited to see him back there with his wife!

I agree. I wish it could be longer, but I suppose this way, they'll be back just in time for Remembrance Day events.

[Fros]

I really hope this 2.5 week timeline is confirmed. Invictus truly does deserve all their attention and I hope they stay in Australia for most of Invictus week and at the games. Especially as it's officially become a biannual event.

It would them more time to actually enjoy and learn about the countries they visit and a chance for us to see them do some interesting stuff.

I think this might be the longest tour undertaken by this generation of young royals. It's going to be an absolute marathon for them.

Important to note we still need a confirmation from KP.

[luluflossie]

If it cost $40,000 in clothes for the Dublin trip, plus 11 staff and a private jet, how much will 2.5 weeks in Australia cost?

[Chloep]

Originally Posted by luluflossie

If it cost $40,000 in clothes for the Dublin trip, plus 11 staff and a private jet, how much will 2.5 weeks in Australia cost?

Those numbers were arbitrary(as most were custom pieces) and misreported(as reworns were counted again). I guess the 'cost' will depend on whether one trusts the Daily Fail headlines.

I reckon, it won't cost any more than any other 2.5 week, 4 country international tour did. Nor is their staff size going to be any bigger, imho. An 11 person unit is no more than just average for today's royals.

[Iluvbertie]

As the cost of her wardrobe is born by Prince Charles and he is happy to pay what does it matter?

They will have a staff of a size necessary plus 8 RPOs each. The staff will be paid for by Charles and the RPOs by the British taxpayers.

Us Aussies will be paying for accommodation and transport while here and probably from here to Fiji and Tonga - although those latter costs will possibly be shared with NZ. We paid for Charles side visit to Vanuatu - as part of our means of support for the less well off Commonwealth countries in the Pacific we assist with the costs of royal visits to these countries, especially when they are tagged onto to visits to us.

This tour will cost no more nor less that other tours this year on a per person per day basis but will gain world-wide notice (which Charles and Camilla's visit didn't - it barely made the news here, and Edward's visit which was longer and around the same time as Charles' received even less news coverage here or anywhere else).

[Cocoasneeze]

Aren't the costs for the tours pretty much standard?

[Tarlita]

When a royal visits Australia the cost is shared between the UK and Australia. This was explained to us when Fred and Mary made their first visit here. This does not apply if it is a private visit.

[Madame Verseau]

Tonga has a monarchy. Would there be a chance Harry and Meghan meet the king and queen? Would there be a dinner in their honor? A chance it could be a tiara event for Meghan?

[Iluvbertie]

They will probably meet the King. They will probably have a dinner. I am not sure that it would be a tiara event as that isn't the 'traditional' way of the Tongan people.

This is an image from QEII's 'great feast' in Tonga in 1954 https://www.tongaturismo.info/rt1/tonga-rt12.jpg

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by Chloep

Those numbers were arbitrary(as most were custom pieces) and misreported(as reworns were counted again). I guess the 'cost' will depend on whether one trusts the Daily Fail headlines.

I reckon, it won't cost any more than any other 2.5 week, 4 country international tour did. Not is their staff size going to be any bigger, imho. An 11 person unit is no more than just average for today's royals.

It was a pretty stupid article. They used jewelry that she's had since before the wedding, which is owned by her privately, to boost the number.

[Fros]

2.5 weeks seems very long for the Oceania tour even if you add Invictus which I am sure they want to give a lot of attention to.

Invictus is 20-27
They'll likely go a day or two early so let's say the tour starts from the 19th.

So my guess is
19-21 Invictus only
22-24 Australia tour (with some Invictus events)
25-26 Tonga
27-Invictus + closing ceremony
28-nov 4th NZ/Fiji?

I hope we get more details soon.

[Chloep]

I think they'll be getting to Australia sooner than the 19th and start on the west coast to work themselves over to the east by the 20th. I am thinking either 15th or the 16th. I simply cannot see them essentially only attending the opening and closing ceremony of IG with an event or two thrown in on a random day. I am sure the aids would prefer this version, but agreeing to that would be just wrong, imo.

While a 2.5 week tour is def way longer than your average tour, it is all the way across the world and is essentially a 5 country tour - if we count IG on it's own.

[Fros]

I really hate that the Tonga visit is happening right in the middle of Invictus but it's important to remember the while the royals may have some input on the the tour itinerary scheduling dates and discussion between countries is usually done by the UK government and is completely out of KP's hands.

If Tonga could only properly accommodate the Sussexes on the 25-26th and if the UK government accepted those dates than regardless of how the royals feel about it they would have to clear those dates for Tonga.

[Zaira]

Originally Posted by Chloep

I think they'll be getting to Australia sooner than the 19th and start on the west coast to work themselves over to the east by the 20th. I am thinking either 15th or the 16th. I simply cannot see them essentially only attending the opening and closing ceremony of IG with an event or two thrown in on a random day. I am sure the aids would prefer this version, but agreeing to that would be just wrong, imo.

While a 2.5 week tour is def way longer than your average tour, it is all the way across the world and is essentially a 5 country tour - if we count IG on it's own.

When is Eugenie’s Wedding? The 12 or 13th October righ? They may leave immediately after and do NZ before IG. But then again, in years past Harry has spent the week before IG going massive promotion and behinds the scenes logistical work too...

[Fros]

Originally Posted by Zaira

When is Eugenie’s Wedding? The 12 or 13th October righ? They may leave immediately after and do NZ before IG. But then again, in years past Harry has spent the week before IG going massive promotion and behinds the scenes logistical work too...

Eugenie's wedding is on October 12th.

That's a good point. If they combine the Invictus promo and the Australian tour before Invictus. They can still focus on Invictus for a few days along with a few events in Australia, then off to Tonga, maybe come back for the closing ceremony and then spend a few days in NZ and Fiji.

It should be noted that in the Onheir podcast they said they might not be looking to spend too much time in Australia because of costs. Charles and Camilla had a very big tour of Australia recently. It's been reported that AUS government is only paying for the Sussexes flight from Singapore because they want to keep the costs lower because AUS just had a major royal tour recently.

[Chloep]

Originally Posted by Fros

Eugenie's wedding is on October 12th.

That's a good point. If they combine the Invictus promo and the Australian tour before Invictus. They can still focus on Invictus for a few days along with a few events in Australia, then off to Tonga, maybe come back for the closing ceremony and then spend a few days in NZ and Fiji.

It should be noted that in the Onheir podcast they said they might not be looking to spend too much time in Australia because of costs. Charles and Camilla had a very big tour of Australia recently. It's been reported that AUS government is only paying for the Sussexes flight from Singapore because they want to keep the costs lower because AUS just had a major royal tour recently.

Yes, that's my desired plan..haha.

Australia + IG: 15/16-24
Tonga: 25-26
IG: 27
NZ: 28-31
Fiji: 1-2

I think it's also plausible that Tonga and Fiji may have preferred to not be 'lumped together' because of the similar setting that the press will probably focus on. This way they'd both have their times to shine separately. Or maybe, as you mentioned above, 25-26 was simply deemed to be the most fitting time for the local government and the royal family. :)

[Madame Verseau]

There are some stories about the Oceania tour thatbit will be a baptism of fire for Meghan, getting all the protocol and customs down but I think she will be fine.

[Fros]

I think Meghan will be fine but I do wonder about the Australian media though.

The Markles drama was given wall to wall coverage even more so than the UK at times. It's led to jokes on Australian tv about whether it's too late for the royal family to send her back to American and some of the reporting has taken on a slight turn into a is she worth the trouble she has brought into the family sort of articles.

Camilla was criticized heavily in the media for seemingly looking bored at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games. Australia has been taking on the failed royal narrative that has been set out in the UK about Meghan.

I am not worried about Meghan making a mistake I am more worried of the media making a big deal about something that might seem like a mistake.

[jacqui24]

Well, Meghan seems to excel at killing them with kindness to some of her critics. Remember the Emilia Wickstead fiasco? She handled it beautifully without ever saying a word. And Australia does seem to be more taken with the younger royals than C&C.