Harry and Meghan: Tour of Southern Africa - September 23-October 2, 2019


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I absolutely loved this tour....Meghan & Harry did a great job representing the UK & Commonwealth and bringing attention to what South Africa, Malawi, Angola, and Botswana have to offer. They struck a good balance of the struggles and all the good the countries are doing.

I personally loved learning more about the people and culture.
 
Meghan is a very confident and passionate public speaker; but I guess that's the perks of acting experience!
 
:previous: That may be an asset but there is a big difference between standing up and addressing a large crowd of people and doing "takes" on a closed set. I think the only time she worked with a live audience is when she was at school and now, a few talk shows.

I think her timing and delivery are probably a result of her career, but her passion comes from the heart and that is what draws people in.
 
I really thought we would get to see Archie on the last day of the tour. A little bit disappointed.
 
Seeing Archie on the third day of the tour meeting Archbishop Tutu and his daughter, Thandeka, was unexpected, delightful and historic. The video and images of the happy Sussex family and the aging Archbishop, who has done so much in fighting for decency and equality, will sustain me until whenever Meghan & Harry feel it's the right time to share their son with us again. Emphasis on their son. ;) We may not be seeng Archie again until Christmas pictures are released, which is fine. By then, more of his hair will have grown in. :D

Having enjoyed seeing so many sweet pictures on Instagram of Meghan's adopted dogs, Guy and Bogart, in her former life, I'm hoping to one day see a family picture of Guy and the new Lab pup with Meghan, Harry & Archie. I don't want to wake up and hear Guy is no longer around (he's got to be advancing in age), before seeing some happy pictures of him again. Babies are darling, but animals are my soft spot.

Here's a direct link to the start of Meghan's speech in this video (a bit of the end of Harry's words, and then Meghan walks to the podium at 18:00):


These words from Meghan's speech resonate with me:

"Visualize your highest self and show up as her..."

"You have the power within you to change things, and that begins with how you connect to others..."

"The way we change the world is to honor the dignity of difference. And in this way, we can find strength..."



Here's a link to the last part of Harry's speech earlier in the day. The last line of which recalls his grandmother's pledge to her country on the occasion of her 21st birthday:

Prince Harry:
We will firmly stand up for what we believe. We are fortunate enough to have a position that gives us amazing opportunities, and we will do everything we can to play our part in building a better world. We will always seek to challenge injustice and to speak out for those who may feel unheard. So no matter your background, your nationality, your age or gender, your sexuality or your physical ability; no matter your circumstance or the color of your skin, we believe in you. And we intend to spend our entire lives making sure that you have the opportunity to succeed and change the world.”

Princess Elizabeth:
"I declare to you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service..."
 
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Court Circular 26th September:
Buckingham Palace

The Duke of Sussex this morning participated in a tree planting in Chobe Forest Reserve, Botswana.

His Royal Highness, Patron, later visited a Sentebale project at Kasane Health Post.

The Duke of Sussex afterwards received a briefing on human and wildlife conflict from Botswana Defence Force Patrol, Kasane.

His Royal Highness this afternoon departed Kasane for Angola and was received at Dirico by the Governor of Cuando Cubango (Mr Júlio Marcelino Vieira Bessa).

The Duke of Sussex this evening received a briefing from the Halo Trust in Dirico.

His Royal Highness later attended a screening of the National Geographic film,*Into the Okavango.

The Duchess of Sussex this morning attended a Meeting for Women in Public Service, at the Residence of the British High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa in Cape Town.

Court Circular 27th September:
Buckingham Palace

The Duke of Sussex this morning visited a minefield with the Halo Trust in Dirico, Angola.

His Royal Highness afterwards unveiled The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, Luengue-Luiana National Park, Dirico.

The Duke of Sussex this afternoon met representatives from de-mining organisations at Avenida 28 de Maio, Huambo, and was received by the Governor of the Province of Huambo (Her Excellency Ms Joana Lina Ramos Baptista Cândido).

His Royal Highness later attended the official naming of the Princess Diana Orthopaedic Centre, Huambo.

The Duke of Sussex this evening attended a Reception given by the British Ambassador to the Republic of Angola (Her Excellency Mrs Jessica Hand) at the Residence in Luanda.

Court Circular 28th September:
Buckingham Palace

The Duke of Sussex this morning was received by The President of the Republic of Angola and Mrs Lourenco at the Presidential Palace, Luanda, Angola.

His Royal Highness and Mrs Lourenco afterwards visited Born Free to Shine, Hospital Maternidade Lucrecia Paim, Luanda.

Court Circular 29th September:
Buckingham Palace

The Duke of Sussex this afternoon arrived in Lilongwe and, having been received by the British High Commissioner to the Republic of Malawi (Her Excellency Ms Holly Tett), subsequently undertook engagements in Lilongwe.

His Royal Highness, President, The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, participated in a discussion with young women from the Campaign for Female Education Alumni Network at Nalikule College of Education.

The Duke of Sussex this evening was received by The President of the Republic of Malawi at State House.

His Royal Highness later attended a Reception given by the British High Commissioner to the Republic of Malawi at the Residence.

Court Circular 30th September:
Buckingham Palace

The Duke of Sussex this morning visited a memorial cairn and laid a wreath, Liwonde National Park, Malawi.

His Royal Highness, President, African Parks, afterwards received a briefing on counter-poaching operations at Liwonde National Park Headquarters.

The Duke of Sussex, President, African Parks, this afternoon viewed a counter-poaching demonstration by African Parks Rangers and 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles at Liwonde National Park.

His Royal Highness later unveiled The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, Liwonde National Park and Mangochi Forest Reserve.

Court Circular 1st October:
Buckingham Palace

The Duke of Sussex this morning visited Mauwa Health Centre, Mauwa, Chiradzulu District, Malawi, and met representatives from Pharmacy in a Box and Tsogolo Langa Youth Reproductive Health Outreach programme.

His Royal Highness this afternoon arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Duchess of Sussex, Patron, Association of Commonwealth Universities, this morning attended a Roundtable Discussion at the University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Her Royal Highness this afternoon visited a gender-based violence education club in Johannesburg and met representatives from ActionAid South Africa and the Teddybear’s Clinic.

Court Circular 2nd October:
Buckingham Palace

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex this morning visited the Youth Employment Services Hub, Makhulong, Tembisa, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Their Royal Highnesses this afternoon called upon Mrs Graca Machel at the Residence of Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa, Johannesburg.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex afterwards attended a Reception given by Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa (Ms Emma Wade-Smith) at the Residence.

Their Royal Highnesses later called upon The President of the Republic of South Africa and Dr Tshepo Motsepe at the Residence in Pretoria.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex this evening departed OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, for the United Kingdom.

Court Circular 3rd October:
Buckingham Palace

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex this morning arrived at Heathrow Airport, London, from South Africa. Ms. Samantha Cohen and Ms. Sara Latham were in attendance.
 
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Fantastic end of a great tour to watch :flowers:

Meghan really is poised and passionate when she speaks. She definitely had a sense of self, and being able to stand infront of people and speak, before they married. There is a confidence and comfort level for her in speeches and with crowds that didn't come as naturally right away for other royal brides. I think likely a mixture of both her age, and her work experience. Not in acting per say, but in the interviews she had to do. And we can't forget she has been doing speeches for years before she event met Harry. She was giving speeches to the UN before she ever went on a blind date. Meghan may not have had the spotless background some may have hoped for, but she has the poise, passion and the skill to handle this kind of job. And royal life is very much a job. Its not just marrying the man, you marry the family and the duties that go with it.

Harry has impressed me this tour as well. For me he has always been very passionate about his projects like Sentebale. But there seems to be a bit more refinement to his speeches and his passion. Grown up a bit with Meghan.


I see much disappointment we didnt see Archie again. The rumors though were about a visit to a rhino sanctuary, he would be taken to. Unless I missed it, they never made a visit to it (maybe I did, I was traveling during the start of their tour). It was said it would only be added if they could.


I like we saw Archie when they met the Archbishop but otherwise he didnt become the focus.
 
A packed and extremely interesting itinerary on this tour for both of them, I thought. I especially liked that, when apart from Harry, Meghan filled her time both with formal engagements but informal visits to places that interested her. I think that it's great that she didn't just rest and wait for her husband's return.

And of course, Harry as always impressed me with the passion for his causes and the way he interacted with others on his engagements. As did Meghan! This was, in spite of the distraction of the last day or so, a very successful tour. I think they have done a marvellous job in Southern Africa.
 
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This was a really well done tour, and I think served to showcase both Meghan and Harry's strengths. I like the fact that so many of the engagements were low key and more informal, which is an area I think both of them do especially well. I thought the Australia/Pacific tour was great, too, but there was something about this less formal, more grassroots focused trip that presented both of them at their best and kept the attention on the important things, the causes they were there to draw attention to. I hope that we see more of this kind of tour from them in the future.
 
:previous: Agreed.

Harry and Meghan both seem to be the kinds of people who like to jump in and get their hands dirty. Not just cutting ribbons and giving speeches. They liked to be in on the ground. We have seen this with both of them with their work in Africa, Meghan pre-marriage. And Meghan with her visits to the kitchen.

They have a definite comfort level with the grass roots organizations. And the more casual informal events like this.

Not that they don't do well with the more formal, but this is where they shine.
 
The press covering the trip may have been distracted, but Meghan & Harry were not distracted, nor did the people and communities they visited on the final day of the tour show any signs of being distracted.

Meghan has been giving speeches I believe since her graduation from middle school when she gave the valedictorian address. The video was online somewhere last year. In addition, Meghan has been performing on stage in front of audiences since she was in grade school at the Little Red Schoolhouse.

I'm familiar with doing public speaking in school and professionally, so I can attest that having to learn lines as an actor is definitely a welcome skill that can be of great benefit in speaking off-the-cuff, or in making remarks without notes that were yet drafted and planned in advance. Meghan is obviously very at ease in front of cameras and in speaking to large or small audiences as a result of her professional background, but also because of her genuine desire to help others. The astute and well-versed, yet comfortable way Meghan conducted herself during the Queen's Commonwealth Trust panel discussion, when she was in the final stages of her pregnancy, is a further testament to her remarkable and genuinely heartfelt ability to connect with diverse groups of people in all kinds of settings.

It was great to hear Meghan speaking off-the-cuff in a few interviews with the media on this tour. I don't believe it is necessarily Meghan who has desired strict privacy, so much as it is her recognizing the pressures and unknowns of this new role, and understanding Harry's need to protect her.
 
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Same here! It would have been lovely to see Archie with some baby animals. The couple could have visited a zoo or sanctuary and brought Archie along. Imagine the photo ops of Archie and baby animals...cute!
I really thought we would get to see Archie on the last day of the tour. A little bit disappointed.
 
I’m glad the family made it back home safely. They did a beautiful job on this tour.
 
I saw on twitter this morning that there is going to be a documentary out on ITV about their tour. It did not say a release date. Tom Bradby (I am sure that's his name) was involved in the documentary.



LaRae
 
I really thought we would get to see Archie on the last day of the tour. A little bit disappointed.

Same here! It would have been lovely to see Archie with some baby animals. The couple could have visited a zoo or sanctuary and brought Archie along. Imagine the photo ops of Archie and baby animals...cute!

IMO one showing was enough for little Archie, his parents have said they want him to be a private citizen so I don't think we'll see too much of him. Besides he's only 5 months old so he should be worrying about sitting up on his own and getting ready for solid foods. ?
 
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I saw on twitter this morning that there is going to be a documentary out on ITV about their tour. It did not say a release date. Tom Bradby (I am sure that's his name) was involved in the documentary.



LaRae


!Hello online has more on it:
"Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have filmed a documentary in Africa - and Archie will feature"

https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2019100378598/meghan-markle-prince-harry-africa-documentary/

"ITV News presenter Tom Bradby confirmed the forthcoming programme, as he tweeted that he'd "just finished filming a documentary on Harry and Meghan in Africa." The presenter is no stranger to the royal family, having previously filmed a documentary with Prince Harry in Africa in 2016, and he also interviewed a nervous Prince William and Kate Middleton after their engagement in November 2010." (ibid.)
 
Harry usually talk to Rhiannon Mills. He wouldn’t be rude to her, so she must’ve said something or acted in a way that displeased him. Harry wouldn’t just act out in the way the media is making it seem. He’s not Princess Anne and Prince Philip.
 
Ista, I think the only thing you are "missing" is likely that the reporters were probably not supposed to ask questions while Harry was getting in the car. I'm sure Harry was irritated that this request was not honored.

I'm ok with Rhiannon doing this for one reason. Often in situations like this, men will not obey the directive and therefore will get further or exclusive information, while women will follow the directive and therefore "lose out." One example is press conferences where reporters are told "one more question!" After the one more question is asked, men tend to continue to shout out more questions, which then tend to get answered, while women tend to obey the directive and miss a chance to have their questions answered.

I will be frank. I do not believe Harry would have turned around and told a male photographer how to behave like he was scolding a small child. I don't believe he would have because he has faced this situation a hundred times and never done so. I hope if I am wrong, someone will point it out

Better to ignore the question and keep moving forward.

I am now prepared to hear how I am excusing women's poor behavior. :D
 
Ista, I think the only thing you are "missing" is likely that the reporters were probably not supposed to ask questions while Harry was getting in the car. I'm sure Harry was irritated that this request was not honored.

I'm ok with Rhiannon doing this for one reason. Often in situations like this, men will not obey the directive and therefore will get further or exclusive information, while women will follow the directive and therefore "lose out." One example is press conferences where reporters are told "one more question!" After the one more question is asked, men tend to continue to shout out more questions, which then tend to get answered, while women tend to obey the directive and miss a chance to have their questions answered.

I will be frank. I do not believe Harry would have turned around and told a male photographer how to behave like he was scolding a small child. I don't believe he would have because he has faced this situation a hundred times and never done so. I hope if I am wrong, someone will point it out

Better to ignore the question and keep moving forward.

I am now prepared to hear how I am excusing women's poor behavior. :D

This might be something that's easily missed, but having watched Prince Harry's interactions, I've noticed he does this regardless of gender. He has stepped in before when photographers got too aggressive. I've seen him give a stern look and then tell them to back off. It happened in Morocco. What Rhiannon Mills did wasn't just shouting a question at him (which, fair enough, I don't think is a big deal). The issue is that she actually got past people in the designated media area and chased to his car. Media chasing the royals to their car is always a big no no, especially with security.

I'm quite surprised by this. They don't just shout questions at them as they are leaving. The pool usually has someone for arrival and departure and then someone for the event, and they share footage.
 
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This might be something that's easily missed, but having watched Prince Harry's interactions, I've noticed he does this regardless of gender. He has stepped in before when photographers got too aggressive. I've seen him give a stern look and then tell them to back off. It happened in Morocco. What Rhiannon Mills did wasn't just shouting a question at him (which, fair enough, I don't think is a big deal). The issue is that she actually got past people in the designated media area and chased to his car. Media chasing the royals to their car is always a big no no, especially with security.

I'm quite surprised by this. They don't just shout questions at them as they are leaving. The pool usually has someone for arrival and departure and then someone for the event, and they share footage.

Thank you, Charlie. I don't usually watch video and am glad to know I was mistaken.
 
!Hello online has more on it:
"Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have filmed a documentary in Africa - and Archie will feature"

https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2019100378598/meghan-markle-prince-harry-africa-documentary/

"ITV News presenter Tom Bradby confirmed the forthcoming programme, as he tweeted that he'd "just finished filming a documentary on Harry and Meghan in Africa." The presenter is no stranger to the royal family, having previously filmed a documentary with Prince Harry in Africa in 2016, and he also interviewed a nervous Prince William and Kate Middleton after their engagement in November 2010." (ibid.)


I look forward to watching this documentary on Harry and Meghan Southern African Tour.
It was an amazing tour, and I learned a lot about the countries visited.

I wonder when the documentary will be complete, and if it will air in the U.S.A. or maybe it'll be in on YouTube afterwards.

?
 
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This might be something that's easily missed, but having watched Prince Harry's interactions, I've noticed he does this regardless of gender. He has stepped in before when photographers got too aggressive. I've seen him give a stern look and then tell them to back off. It happened in Morocco. What Rhiannon Mills did wasn't just shouting a question at him (which, fair enough, I don't think is a big deal). The issue is that she actually got past people in the designated media area and chased to his car. Media chasing the royals to their car is always a big no no, especially with security.

I'm quite surprised by this. They don't just shout questions at them as they are leaving. The pool usually has someone for arrival and departure and then someone for the event, and they share footage.

Thank you for providing context. I knew there had to be something more than the interaction on the video.
 
Thank you for providing context. I knew there had to be something more than the interaction on the video.

Yeah I was very curious about his reaction at first too but that context makes sense. At first he laughed her off and was congenial, but when she persisted, he got a bit annoyed.

He also had just given Rihannon an interview as well, so its weird that she would go after him with more questions.
 
Yes, I came here to share the same tweet, in which Bradby says the documentary he filmed of M&H in South Africa will "explain a lot." I'm not sure if Bradby is referring to a lot about their work and projects in South Africa, or about the couple in general and what's been going on since their marriage:
It's interesting that people think Harry is so against the media, when in fact, journalist Tom Bradby is a close friend of Harry's who has remained a very close friend. So Harry in fact is often friendly with journalists who are fair and responsible. Bradby and his wife, Claudia Hill-Norton (a jewelry designer), were invited guests at M&H's wedding. I recently learned that during ITV's lead-in coverage of the royal wedding, Bradby was interviewed and he spoke very revealingly about M&H's relationship around the time their dating became public knowledge.

Bradby said that Meghan has had a calming effect on Harry. He said that Meghan was much calmer than Harry around the time of the revelation of their relationship. Harry was anxious about ensuring Meghan would feel prepared for and protected against what was increasingly becoming a media trial-by-fire. Harry was particularly concerned since he'd previously lost girlfriends who did not want to deal with the OTT public attention:
direct link to start of the interview with Bradby and his wife at 34:08+ (Bradby's remarks begin at around 36:24)

Even Meghan's dog walker was chased by paparazzi... :ermm:
 
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This might be something that's easily missed, but having watched Prince Harry's interactions, I've noticed he does this regardless of gender. He has stepped in before when photographers got too aggressive. I've seen him give a stern look and then tell them to back off. It happened in Morocco. What Rhiannon Mills did wasn't just shouting a question at him (which, fair enough, I don't think is a big deal). The issue is that she actually got past people in the designated media area and chased to his car. Media chasing the royals to their car is always a big no no, especially with security.

I'm quite surprised by this. They don't just shout questions at them as they are leaving. The pool usually has someone for arrival and departure and then someone for the event, and they share footage.

Excellent summation of what logically might have happened. If I remember right, the press pack is given the itinerary for tours and there's times to ask questions and there are times to not ask questions.

Taking Harry's words at face value is that he knew Ms. Mills well enough that he could notice that her question was out of line and addressed her by name. I also have to think that by the almost end of an exhausting tour and knowing what was about to hit (his statement), its easy to be a bit short tempered and be aggravated easily.

As stated, Harry has given Ms. Mills an interview and is familiar with her so I don't think something like this is the end of the world for either of them. It was Harry being very human at the time.

BTW: Welcome to TRF, Charlie!
 
Harry usually talk to Rhiannon Mills. He wouldn’t be rude to her, so she must’ve said something or acted in a way that displeased him. Harry wouldn’t just act out in the way the media is making it seem. He’s not Princess Anne and Prince Philip.

At the end of the day the reporters are doing THEM a favour in bothering to record their activities on tours (all the royals). I've always wondered what royal tours achieve anyway other than to give the royal family good PR and make them look relevent. It's OK to say that it gives the reporters a job but these people are professional journalists and would get a job somewhere else anyway. The royals should realise that they need the media more than it needs them and if Harry and Meghan find it so awful they are free to give it all up tomorrow. They would be forgotten about by the media and the public at large within a week.
 
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