The couple follow in the footsteps of Harry’s mother and father Diana and Charles, who visited Australia on their first overseas tour

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Australians will welcome Prince Harry and his new bride Meghan to Australia in October with great warmth and excitement, the prime minister says.



Kensington Palace has announced the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who married last month, will travel to Sydney for the 2018 Invictus Games – a Paralympics style event for defence veterans – of which Prince Harry is patron.



It hasn’t been revealed if they will travel elsewhere in Australia, but their overseas tour will also include New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga.



The couple will follow in the footsteps of Prince Harry’s parents, Charles and Diana, who travelled to Australia and New Zealand on their first overseas tour together.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Australians would be excited about the visit, and the couple could expect a very warm welcome.



“As the founder of the Invictus Games, The Duke of Sussex has become a champion for war veterans around the world, including in Australia,” he said in a statement.



Prince Harry and Meghan Markle - the wedding ceremony in pictures Read more

“His attendance, alongside The Duchess of Sussex, will be a wonderful highlight for the more than 500 competitors and thousands of spectators.”



He said he and his wife Lucy looked forward to hosting the newlyweds and watching the games, which were founded by Prince Harry in 2014 after he served with the British military in Afghanistan.



The chair of the Australian Republic Movement welcomed news of the tour but said it should also be cause for reflection about the nation’s future.



“They will be most welcome,” Peter FitzSimons on Monday.



“But the distinction must be made between their deserved popularity and our own sovereignty. They will go on, and good luck to them, long after we are a republic.”

The 2018 Sydney-based event will run from 20 to 27 October.

Kensington Palace said more details about the tour will be released “in due course”.

