Prince Harry and Meghan Markle won't be able to cuddle koalas on Australia tour

Harry and Meghan are going on on their first royal tour (PA)
Harry and Meghan are going on on their first royal tour (PA)

Words by Sarah Carty

They’re set to step foot in Australia in two weeks’ time, however it’s now been revealed there’s one thing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can’t do while they’re Down Under.

The 34-year-old Duke and 37-year-old Duchess of Sussex’s tour is set to take place from Tuesday, October 16th, until Wednesday, October 31st.

During that time, they will take in all the sights of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand, meeting with locals and carrying out engagements at the Invictus Games in Sydney.

On the first day of their tour, they’re set to visit Taronga Zoo, where they’ll officially open the new Taronga Institute of Science and Learning.

And while they might be meeting two koalas and joeys, that are part of the Zoo’s breeding programme, Meghan and Harry won’t be able to hold them.

“You can cuddle in Queensland and pet in New South Wales,” Harry and Meghan’s private secretary Sam Cohen told the Daily Telegraph.

It’s believed the Duke and Duchess will simply pat the koalas, before taking a boat ride across Sydney Harbour to the Sydney Opera House.

They won’t be able to hold a koala like Prince Charles and Camilla did when they visited Adelaide in 2012. Photo: Getty Images
They won’t be able to hold a koala like Prince Charles and Camilla did when they visited Adelaide in 2012. Photo: Getty Images
Kate Middleton and Prince William are pictured patting a koala at Taronga Zoo in 2014. Photo: Getty Images
Kate Middleton and Prince William are pictured patting a koala at Taronga Zoo in 2014. Photo: Getty Images

Kensington Palace has revealed that their trip ‘will focus on youth leadership, and projects being undertaken by young people to address the social, economic, and environmental challenges of the region’.

During their trip, the loved-up couple will also climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, visit Lake McKenzie on Fraser Island, take a tram in Melbourne and attend the opening and closing ceremonies of the Invictus Games.

Here’s a day-by-day breakdown of where the royals are visiting, while they’re on tour:

Tuesday October 16: Sydney, Australia
Wednesday October 17: Dubbo, Australia
Thursday October 18: Melbourne, Australia
Friday October 19: Sydney, Australia
Saturday October 20: Sydney, Australia
Sunday October 21: Sydney, Australia
Monday October 22: Fraser Island, Australia
Tuesday October 23: Suva, Fiji
Wednesday October 24: Suva, Fiji
Thursday October 25: Nadi, Fiji and Nuku’alofa, Tonga
Friday October 26: Nuku’alofa, Tonga and Sydney, Australia
Saturday October 27: Sydney, Australia
Sunday October 28: Wellington, New Zealand
Monday October 29: Wellington and Abel Tasman, New Zealand
Tuesday October 30: Auckland, New Zealand
Wednesday October 31: Rotorua, New Zealand


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