Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were given a rapturous reception in Tonga as they embark on the next step of their first overseas tour since their wedding in May.
As the couple touched down on the Polynesian island on day ten of their 16-day tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand, they were greeted by hundreds of cheering schoolchildren, who were given the day off school to welcome the royal couple, the BBC reports.
They were then received by Tonga’s monarch, King Tupou VI, and his wife Queen Nanasipau'u, who held a state dinner in their honour.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Fashion fans are always eagle-eyed when it comes to reading messages into the Duchess’s wardrobe, and observers will not have been disappointed with her choice of outfits for her first day in Tonga. Markle arrived in a red dress and later changed into a white evening gown - reflecting the colours of the Tongan flag.
From Tonga, the couple will stop off in Australia and then finish their whirlwind tour in New Zealand.
By the time they head back to the UK on 31 October, they will have completed 76 engagements, Metro reports.
Click on the gallery above to see some of the highlights of their trip so far.
-
The Week Unwrapped: Can bullfighting win over young SpaniardsPodcast Plus, is online fandom inherently unhealthy? And is Putin’s economy running out of gas?
-
Heirs and Graces: an ‘enthralling’ deep dive into the decline of nobilityThe Week Recommends Eleanor Doughty explores the ‘bizarre fascination’ with the British aristocracy
-
The week’s best photosIn Pictures A monstrous pumpkin, a sumo showdown, and more
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
