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

[jacqui24]

Something more substantive than Tweeps (), Chris Ship said The First Tour was most viewed program in its time slot last night.

[HereditaryPrincess]

I watched the documentary and it was a good, entertaining watch. It was great to look back at little snippets from the tour and to "meet" those who were responsible for organising events and those who went to see the Sussexes.

[Royal Suitor]

Great to catch up on everyone's tour posts. I followed on Twitter so reading your posts was like reliving the tour through your eyes. Some thoughts from me...

- The tour overall was an unquestioned success. They did a great job highlighting the causes, organizations, and communities that are important to them. I was excited to see that captured in the media coverage. It wasn't just an int'l fashion show for Meghan. As much as the Fluro Friday event at Bondi beach may not have been everyone's cup of tea, the OneWave website crashing is a testament that the message mattered.
- KP said H&M's goal was to meet as many local people as possible vs. a tour focused exclusively on set pieces and signing guest books with dignitaries. I thought they had a good mix but you could definitely see where their priorities were. And several of the PMs, quite smartly, took part in the public engagements. The fact that PM Arden sent Hannah the pic of her and Meghan is unbelievable and just made that moment even better.
- I'll add the military in general to the list of themes Pranter provided. There were several remembrance events, statue unveilings, and the like. I didn't see much fluff beyond the welly wanging which was really a QCC dedication anyway.
- I give both H&M credit for being able to downshift from hugs and high-fives to welcome ceremonies and state dinners. I thought they handled both well even though the former may be their preference. I was frankly disappointed with the RRs claiming they missed the fun Harry from tours gone by. The man is 34, married and about to be a father. The days of Harry as court jester here to entertain should be over. He seemed to have an easier time with the transition than the reporters.
- H&M's speeches were a highlight of the tour. In their own way, they both brought in their personal experiences and that made the speeches memorable vs. a cold read of someone else's words. More of that please.
- With the time difference, it seemed like the KP social media team was asleep for half the tour. Often felt like watching the Olympics on tape delay. I like the behind the scene pics which were done sparingly just as I liked William tweeting about the World Cup.
- Time management is going to be an ongoing struggle with this couple. They're both talkers who value connection and don't want to disappoint crowds who've waited for hours. Plus, KP severely underestimated their popularity/crowd size, the Suva mkt being the most glaring example. Not sure if the solution is fewer, longer events but scheduling walkabouts for 15 mins is laughable. They've lost before they've even begun.
- I agree with others that IG got shortchanged by the tour. I understand why but hope it won't happen again.

[Curryong]

Yes, Chris Ship would be pleased with the way the programme was received. I'm very glad that people in Britain were able to see for themselves how Harry and Meghan were received by crowds on this side of the world.

[rominet09]

So bad we c ouldn't Watch it here !

[Axeyman]

For Australian viewers the ITV First Tour special will be telecast this Sunday the 11th November on Channel 7 between 9.15-10.15pm

[Curryong]

Goody! Thanks for that. I look forward to it.

[Fros]

Sunrise is reporting on a new poll on the republican sentiment in Australia off the back of the recent tour. Polls find a support for the monarch has gone up especially among young people.

https://mobile.twitter.com/sunriseon...10298615140352

[jacqui24]

On top of that article, this article mentions that the support for Republic is at lowest in 25 years. It's also the first time since 1999 that less than 50% of those polled want a Republic.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...3ef7b4a8194412

I'm sure this will adjust once the highs wear off, but it's good to see Aussies still love the royal family.

[AlowVera]

This is great news!! I wish Harry and Meghan could stay in Australia it was so positive and it was great seeing them so relaxed and happy.

[JuliannaVictoria]

Originally Posted by Fros

Sunrise is reporting on a new poll on the republican sentiment in Australia off the back of the recent tour. Polls find a support for the monarch has gone up especially among young people.

https://mobile.twitter.com/sunriseon...10298615140352

This is great news. I think they did precise what was intended. I hope the RF and specifically the Queen is proud of work they did on this tour. While there were some hiccups with timing and 'tags', I thought it was a success for being their first tour.

[HereditaryPrincess]

Great to hear! Out of interest, how strong were republican sentiments amongst Australians before the Sussexes embarked on their tour?
The tour was very successful indeed and I'm glad that it got the reception - and more - the couple and the BRF had hoped.

[kathl29]

As an Australian, I think one of the reasons for an increase in popularity for the monarchy in recent years is the constant instability we have had with Prime Ministers. No Prime Minister has completed a full term since John Howard in 2004-2007. The republican model put forward was for Parliament to choose a Head of State and many young people no longer trust our politicians. I am supportive of an Australian republic but like many I know now see the monarchy as a form of stability in our revolving door of politics. Not sure I want our current bunch of self serving politicians choosing a head of state. Having said that people also love weddings and babies and the younger royals are at that stage in life. Meghan and Harry did well on this tour and displayed the down to earth human touch that Aussies love.

[JuliannaVictoria]

Originally Posted by HereditaryPrincess

Great to hear! Out of interest, how strong were republican sentiments amongst Australians before the Sussexes embarked on their tour?
The tour was very successful indeed and I'm glad that it got the reception - and more - the couple and the BRF had hoped.

So it seems like before the tour, the percentage was about 50% in favour of a Republic. After the tour, only 40%.

Before the tour 41% were against becoming a Republic, while after the tour 47% were against it.

I would have to get my hands on the dataset to see what the variables were, how the question was asked and if this was a random sampling to determine the validity of the numbers. None the less, I'm sure it's good news for the BRF.

[JuliannaVictoria]

Originally Posted by kathl29

As an Australian, I think one of the reasons for an increase in popularity for the monarchy in recent years is the constant instability we have had with Prime Ministers. No Prime Minister has completed a full term since John Howard in 2004-2007. The republican model put forward was for Parliament to choose a Head of State and many young people no longer trust our politicians. I am supportive of an Australian republic but like many I know now see the monarchy as a form of stability in our revolving door of politics. Not sure I want our current bunch of self serving politicians choosing a head of state. Having said that people also love weddings and babies and the younger royals are at that stage in life. Meghan and Harry did well on this tour and displayed the down to earth human touch that Aussies love.

Thank you. Those are 2 variables to take into consideration. If I didn't have a full time job, I would so love to analyse the data for this poll.

[Tarlita]

Enjoyed watching the Tour on Sunday night. Brought back some memorable moments and some I missed at the time.
It was a great success for Meghan and I bet Harry enjoyed it that much more having Meghan by his side, sharing special moments together.
I hope they have had the time to wade through all those gifts.
For Meghan to recognise Hannah in the crowd was a very special moment.

[DeeT]

It was lovely watching Harry on this tour, knowing how much he longed to have someone special to share his life with. Harry and Meghan are a formidable team and although there was a huge time difference for me, it was fun following them on this excellent tour.

There were many touching and personal moments on this tour, yes, it was sweet to watch when Meghan recognized Hannah. While there are so many who never heard of Meghan before she started dating Harry, there are others who were quietly inspired by her kindness & encouragement.

[Osipi]

Those occasions where Harry and Meghan met up with people in the crowds, such as Daphne Dunn and Hannah, added so much to the tour. It was a bridge that showed that Harry and Meghan weren't just there "on display" to be gawked at and admired like a museum artifact but that Harry and Meghan both had a connection to the people. It made them reachable, touchable, up front and personal human beings that were involved. It made them relevant.

There were a lot of those little moments during the tour. Harry giving his umbrella to someone that needed it spoke volumes about the kind of man he is. Meghan displaying a macaroni necklace as if it were made of precious diamonds meant the world to little Gavin.

This is called walking the walk. No wonder it gets results.

[Curryong]

With regard to the poll, I believe 55% for a republic was being touted here only a few months ago. As a monarchist and a Harry and Meghan fan I am delighted at this change.

However, I feel that these tours of popular young royals do provide a temporary boost in support for the monarchy, especially among the young but in general it doesn't last.

More of a problem for the republican movement here is I feel the same as the last time there was a referendum on the republic over twenty years ago. There are great difficulties in getting amendments passed constitutionally, which is why only a handful have passed since Federation.

Also, there may be difficulties in choosing what model of presidency to adopt, considering that in the 1990s the preferred one among the general public was a popularly elected President as in the US. Australia follows the Westminster system of Government and so that is not a good fit!

Agree that this debate is not at the forefront in the minds of most Aussies. Far too many other things to worry about!

[Ish]

Posts discussing US politics have been deleted as off topic.

Let’s move on from getting into Australian republicanism as well. That can be discussed at the Queen and Australia thread.