The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have arrived in Australia for their first royal tour as a married couple.

Harry and Meghan would have been forgiven if they thought they were back in London as they touched down in a rainy Sydney on Monday for the start of their 16-day visit to Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.

Fresh from Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's wedding celebrations, the trip is the couple's first outside the UK and Ireland and will officially begin on Tuesday.

Hundreds of people gathered to catch a glimpse of the couple as they were driven from the airport to Admiralty House, the Sydney residence of Governor General Peter Cosgrove, the Queen's representative.

Image: Australians braved the rain to catch a glimpse of the royal couple

Fans of the couple, who married in May, cheered as their car was driven to the home near the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.


They will carry out 76 engagements, including school visits, greeting members of the public at the Sydney Opera House, and meeting young leaders and community members at Government House.

While in Sydney they will launch the Invictus Games, which Harry set up, take in the sights of a Sydney zoo and visit the rural Flying Doctor service.

Harry and Meghan will then fly to Fiji where they will be greeted with an arrival ceremony similar to one the newly crowned Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were treated to in 1953.

Image: The couple's motorcade entering Governor General Peter Cosgrove's Sydney home

We will have to wait and see if the couple get as involved in the dancing as Prince William and Kate did when they visited the tiny Pacific island of Tuvalu in 2012.

Harry will pay tribute to Fijian war veterans and the couple will attend a state dinner before flying to Tonga.

Their tour will end with a four-day trip to New Zealand, where they will be greeted by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who recently became the second ever elected head of state to give birth while in office.

Image: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended Princess Eugenie's wedding on Friday and Saturday

The Duke and Duchess will learn about environmental challenges while in Wellington, visit a charity which supports children with parents in prison, and meet members of the public in Auckland and Rotura.

They will return to London from Auckland on 1 November.

A Kensington Palace spokesman said: "There is a long history of friendship between the royal family and Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand, and their links with the UK are extensive.

"The Duke and Duchess are very much looking forward to experiencing the unique cultures and customs of those four Commonwealth countries and have asked that this tour allow them opportunities to meet as many Australians, Fijians, Tongans, and New Zealanders as possible."