Pregnant Meghan the star as Pacific royal tour ends

AFP  |  Rotorua (New Zealand) 

and pregnant wife visited the resort town of Wednesday to wrap up a lengthy Pacific tour which has confirmed the star appeal of Britain's newest royal.

The American-born former and her husband attended 76 engagements over 16 days in the former British colonies, with sometimes changing outfits four times in a single day.

While they observed the inevitable formalities with prime ministers and other dignitaries, members of the public who met the touring royals said they came across as down-to-earth and personable.

did not stand on ceremony, happily participating in a "welly-wanging" (gumboot throwing) competition, halting their royal entourage several times to give shy toddlers a cuddle and bringing her home-made banana bread to afternoon tea in outback Dubbo.

"They were very nice, chatty and relaxed," was a typical assessment, offered by teenager after she met them in New Zealand's

The tour opened with the bombshell announcement that Meghan was expecting the couple's first baby early next year, sparking fears she would be vulnerable to Zika virus in and

But the reported there had been no cases this year on the islands of the mosquito-borne virus, which can cause deformities in unborn babies, and the leg of the trip went ahead unchanged.

Meghan proved so popular in that her minders whisked her away from an engagement at a market, fearing it was becoming overcrowded.

The 37-year-old's wardrobe largely consisted of local designers and she won plaudits in when she arrived in a bright red dress, the colour of the national flag.

But Meghan, who became Duchess of when she married Harry, showed she was more than a clothes horse, giving several speeches expressing her support for female empowerment.

She spoke in about her own struggles to afford university in the United States, arguing the case for open education.

"When girls are given the right tools to succeed they can create incredible futures, not only for themselves, but for all of those around them," she said.

In Wellington, her message was "feminism is about fairness" and human rights for all "including members of society who have been marginalised -- whether for reasons of race, gender, ethnicity, or orientation".

also used the tour to promote his favoured causes -- mental health and the Invictus Games, the Olympics-style sporting event for wounded soldiers he helped found in 2014.

At the Games' closing ceremony in last Saturday, Harry spoke of the need to talk openly about anxiety, stress and depression, revealing his own struggles.

"I've been there, you've been there, and we now need to reach out to those who can never even imagine themselves in that place," he said.

The mood on the tour's final day was upbeat as Harry and Meghan wore traditional Maori cloaks and received a spectacular welcome from the local Te Arawa tribe.

spokesman singled out Meghan, who has a mixed race background, as an inspiration for young Maori, saying she brought "a fresh perspective and diversity" to the monarchy.

"She has shown you can succeed, make a difference and be your own person while also celebrating your heritage. This inspires us all," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Wed, October 31 2018. 08:30 IST