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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s first stop on faux-royal Australia tour has special connection to Princess Diana

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry visited the same Australian hospital that his mom walked into more than 40 years ago.

The ousted royals landed in Melbourne in the early hours of Tuesday, where they kicked off their visit to Australia at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

The two put on a united front as they walked into the hospital hand-in-hand, refusing to put any distance between them as they walked through the halls.

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via REUTERS

For the outing, Markle looked elegant in a navy Karen Gee dress, which she paired with Dior pumps. As for Harry, he matched his wife in a navy blue suit paired with black shoes and a white button-up.

Crowds of patients, their families and employees greeted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who paused to speak and take selfies with those around them.

When asked what he was looking forward to during his visit, Harry said, per People, “Everything!”

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REUTERS
via REUTERS

Speaking to the outlet, Professor Christine Kilpatrick AO (Officer of the Order of Australia), who serves as Board Chair of The Royal Children’s Hospital, declared the Sussexes’ visit a success.

“Look around and you can see the crowds of people, the smiles on their faces and what it means to them. Everyone is absolutely delighted,” she gushed.

“You can’t measure the morale boost, but it is palpable,” she added. “Many of these patients have been here for quite some time and are often very frequent visitors to the hospital, a joy like this is wonderful for them.”

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The visit is rather special, as Harry’s parents, Princess Diana and now-King Charles, visited the hospital in October 1985 during their 13-day tour.

In photos from their visit, Diana was seen at a young patient’s bedside while Charles stayed close.

Charles and Diana would go on to get divorced 11 years later, before her untimely death in 1997. She was 36.

via REUTERS
AP

Shortly after their stop at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Harry and Markle met veteran families at the Australian National Veterans’ Art Museum later in the evening.

The former “Suits” actress also made a solo stop at the Homeless Services for Women Centre, where she put on an apron and served food to users.

The couple — who last visited Australia during a 2018 royal tour before quitting their royal roles two years later — will continue their trip with outings in Canberra and Sydney.

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AP

Aside from being a humanitarian visit, Markle will also hold meetings about launching her lifestyle brand, As Ever, as she has now trademarked 12 products in Australia.

A source also told us that they are not expected to meet any government officials.

Meanwhile, Harry is currently facing a libel lawsuit from his former charity, Sentebale, following an internal dispute with chairwoman Dr. Sophie Chandauka.

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