The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are now halfway through their four-country tour and today carried out a slew of engagements in Fiji after last night’s state dinner. It also marked the occasion of Meghan’s first real speech as a member of the British Royal Family – naturally she executed flawlessly.
As Kensington Palace warned, Meghan’s itinerary has definitely been scaled back. She skipped a morning engagement at a war memorial with Harry, and after a tour of Suva Market at which a number of local women believed they would meet Meghan and in fact did not. Unfortunately – or luckily – depending on who you are, I guess, royal reporters were on hand to capture their disappointment.
WATCH: #Meghan leaves Suva market. All very calm, all very controlled. Many ladies that were told they were going to meet Meghan didn’t and voiced their disappointment afterwards. pic.twitter.com/YVkBhA7X5P
— Emily Andrews (@byEmilyAndrews) October 24, 2018
My guess is that keeping that particular engagement pretty bare bones is part of the plan to keep Meghan resting as much as possible. As evidenced by her efforts to meet as many people as possible during the first days in Australia, this is clearly not her MO.
Update: Official word from KP is that the engagement was cut short due to “crowd control” issues and security concerns. Royal reporters note that they didn’t feel that at the venue, but that doesn’t mean POs weren’t evaluating other factors they weren’t ware of. One note I’ve heard is the lack of barriers for the path Meghan would have to walk.
Meghan’s speech came at the University of the South Pacific in Suva. Video was shared from Kensington Palace:
"Everyone should be afforded the opportunity to receive the education they want, but more importantly the education they have the right to receive. And for women and girls in developing countries, this is vital.” — The Duchess of Sussex at @UniSouthPacific #RoyalVisitFiji pic.twitter.com/ZWXxiBNcEY
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) October 24, 2018
While on campus, both Harry and Meghan were presented with elaborate floral leis, and both had the opportunity to meet with students and local children outside.
Finally, in-between the University and the market, the two participated in a reception at the High Commissioner’s residence.
Meghan wore a pink floral dress by Figue with her black Castaner wedges, and carried a handmade bag from Suva that she held prominently for the cameras throughout the day. I did like seeing color from Meghan and this was certainly the right venue for a dress like this, but I can’t say I’m personally a big fan of this look.
Moving on – tomorrow will see the couple move on to Tonga, including an evening reception that may well prompt another formal look from the Duchess.