How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s first royal tour could pay tribute to Princess Diana

The new Duke and Duchess of Sussex are literally following in Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s footsteps. The newlyweds will be heading to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and the Kingdom of Tonga for their first royal tour as a married couple – two of the same locations that Harry’s father and late mother went on their own first trip together.
In so many ways, the former actress and her husband pay tribute to Princess Diana – from the 36-year-old wearing her aquamarine ring for her wedding reception to the flowers they adorned St. George’s Chapel in. Here are some likely stops the two will make in Australia and New Zealand, to pay homage to Harry’s mom.
Photos: © Getty Images

Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is sacred to the indigenous peoples of Australia and is thought to have started forming around 550 million years ago. Diana and Charles – as well as Kate and William during their tour to Australia – took a few iconic photos in front of this beautiful natural formation, a pit stop that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will also be likely to make.
Photo: © Tim Graham/Getty Images

Princess Diana and Prince Charles spent time learning about the rich history of New Zealand. They made a stop in the capital of Auckland at Eden Park Stadium to greet a group of traditional Maori women and learn about their culture. Diana shared a traditional hongi nose rub with one woman, a greeting we’ve seen Harry undertake in the past but that he’s likely practicing with his new wife ahead of their visit.
Photo: © Anwar Hussein/Getty Images

Continuing their cultural education, the royal couple took a ride in a traditional Maori canoe during their visit to New Zealand – an activity that the Duke and Duchess may take part in, too, to celebrate the beautiful history of the South Pacific country.
Photo: © Anwar Hussein/Getty Images

No one goes to Australia without paying a visit to the Sydney Opera House – not even Charles and Diana! Crowds gathered by the thousands outside of the iconic building when the two royals rolled through in their car. We can expect to see a similar turnout when Meghan and Harry visit, and we’re crossing our fingers that they’ll attend a performance in their fashionable finest.
Photo: © Anwar Hussein/Getty Images

Fewer things are sweeter than a royal walkabout, and Princess Diana was an absolute professional and so amazing at connecting with the children. It’s a quality that Meghan shares, so royal watchers have some sweet moments to look forward to when they head Down Under.
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Leaving on a jet plane! Diana and Charles shared some momentous moments while boarding their planes during their trip to Australia and New Zealand. Meghan and Harry’s upcoming tour will be the first time we see them on a plane, waving to their fans.
Photo: © David Levenson/Getty Images

Carriage ride, anyone? The Princess of Wales and her husband made sure to enjoy all the experiences while on their first tour together, including riding a stagecoach through Sovereign Hill in Ballarat, Australia. Perhaps the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – who have been in their fair share of carriages of late between their royal wedding and Trooping the Colour – will go for a spin, too!
Photo: © David Levenson/Getty Images

Remember the time royal-to-be Meghan Markle embraced a little girl during a walkabout in Birmingham? She learned from the best as Princess Diana was famous for her love of children. We’re definitely looking forward to some gorgeous photos like this one.
Photo: © Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images

We’re definitely hoping to spot Meghan and Harry hitting the dance floor during a state dinner or two while on tour! Here, Diana and Charles showed off some of their best moves while at a charity ball in Australia.
Photo: © Anwar Hussein/WireImage

On a more sombre note, Prince Charles and his late wife visited a war memorial in Canberra. As royal watchers know, the health of war veterans is very close to Prince Harry’s heart, who visited the landmark back in 2015. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the prince show his wife around on this visit.
Photo: © Jayne Fincher/Getty Images