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Everything You Need To Know About The Duke And Duchess of Sussex's Royal Tour

It will involve the Invictus Games, Jessica Mulroney, and some very cute koalas.
Tim Ireland / Pool via AP

Now that they're the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and soon-to-be parents, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to begin their first-ever overseas royal tour.

Starting Tuesday, the 16-day tour will take them to 11 towns in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga, where they'll make an exhausting 76 stops. (They will also be joined by Meghan's Canadian best friend, Jessica Mulroney.)

Royal tours are planned by combining the issues the host countries want to draw attention to, as well as the royals' own interests. Many themes come up repeatedly in the complete tour itinerary that are clearly significant to the couple: namely, environmental protection, youth mental health, and military commemoration.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at Sydney International Airport in Sydney, New South Wales.
John Grainger/Newspix/Getty Images
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at Sydney International Airport in Sydney, New South Wales.

Australia, Oct. 16 - 22

The duke and duchess have already landed in Sydney, where their tour officially begins on Tuesday. They'll start by meeting representatives from the 18 countries competing at the Invictus Games at the Sydney Harbour, and will visit a zoo and conservation area. (Look out for the koala pics!) They'll also attend a rehearsal by an Indigenous modern dance company. Later in the trip, they'll meet with mental health advocates and environmentalists.

On Friday, after visits to Dubbo and Melbourne, the couple will return to Sydney. Prince Harry, along with the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and representatives from the Invictus Games, will climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge to raise the Invictus flag.

The Invictus Games, which will take place in Sydney from Oct. 20-27,were started by Prince Harry in 2014 to honour wounded soldiers and veterans. David Beckham is this year's Invictus ambassador, so expect to see him in Sydney with the duke and duchess.

Fiji, Oct. 23-25

Harry and Meghan will watch a traditional Fijian Veirqaraqaravi Vakavanua ceremony, which is similar to the one Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip saw in 1953, shortly after her coronation.

The Fiji stop is also the first time on the tour the couple will go to separate engagements. After they visit the University of South Pacific together, Harry will meet conservators at the Colo-i-Suva Forest Park while Meghan will have tea with the British High Commissioner to discuss women's organizations, and will meet female vendors at the Suva Market, a bustling street market where locals sell foods like coconuts, pineapples, jackfruit, chilli peppers and papayas.

Tonga, Oct. 25 - 26

The Tonga leg of the trip will be relatively short: they'll meet the country's Royal family, dedicate forest reserves to the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy, meet local craftsmen, and unveil a new statue of British-Fijian soldier Talaiasi Labalaba.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made their first official public appearance together at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto.
Karwai Tang via Getty Images
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made their first official public appearance together at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto.

Back to Australia, Oct. 26 - 27

They'll fly back to Sydney to watch the wheelchair basketball finals at the Invictus Games and attend the closing ceremonies, where they'll both give speeches.

New Zealand, Oct. 28 - 31

During four whirlwind days in New Zealand, Harry and Meghan will meet with environmentalists, politicians, young people learning media skills and children whose parents are in prison.

They will also engage in a "welly-wanging" contest (that's boot-throwing, for us North Americans), dedicate more forest space to the Commonwealth Canopy, celebrate the 125th anniversary of female suffrage, lay a wreath at a war memorial park.

And — perhaps most thrillingly — the couple will go to a kiwi bird sanctuary, where they'll name baby kiwi chicks. (Will they go with a traditional name, or a more modern one? Everyone taking bets on the baby's name, take note!)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the UK team trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018, at the University of Bath Sports Training Village.
Trevor Adams/MediaPunch/IPx
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the UK team trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018, at the University of Bath Sports Training Village.

Phew! It will be quite a trip for the newlyweds. We're sure they're looking forward to it as much as we're looking forward to seeing those koala photos.

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