Royals

Meghan hits the mark! Keen Duchess shows off AFL skills

Oct 18, 2018

Meghan wasn't letting her designer gown and heels get in the way of trying AFL in Melbourne! Source: Getty

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has proven again that she’s full of surprises on her first tour of Australia.

She’s been wowing people all across the nation with husband Prince Harry and the pair didn’t disappoint when they arrived in Victoria for the third day of their royal visit. Harry and Meghan have been embracing every aspect of Aussie culture since touching down in Australia on Monday and it looks as though the mum-to-be is a fan of our national sport.

During a visit to Government House in Melbourne, the 37-year-old former actress watched women from VicHealth’s This Girl Can initiative showcase their talent across a range of physical activities including Aussie rules football, netball, yoga, boxercise, cricket and cycling. Clearly intrigued by the game of AFL, the pregnant Duchess surprised onlookers by grabbing an iconic red AFL Sherrin footy and playing a game of handball with some of the other women at the event.

After watching the other women for a while, Meghan gave it a crack for herself – much to the delight of onlookers who cheered her on as she passed the ball to one of the other ambassadors at Government House. With a meat pie in hand, she’d be right at home at the MCG watching an AFL match.

The candid moment was captured on camera and people across social media have been delighted by Meghan’s willingness to have a go. One person was thrilled that despite her glamorous appearance and outfit, Meghan was still able to get involved.

“Meghan’s playing footy in heels,” they wrote.

Meghan's playing footy in heels 😄 #AFL https://t.co/aNu7E1OTuz

— Meghan's Fashion (@meghansfashion) October 18, 2018

Another comment read: “What about that Meghan’s footy skills! Natural!”

A third was thrilled Meghan got the chance to play sport in Melbourne.

“Where better to learn the art of @AFL than the sporting capital?” they gushed.

Meghan got involved during a game of AFL handball in Melbourne. Source: Getty

Meghan wasn’t exactly dressed for physical activity on Thursday, opting for a tailored navy blue dress by Australian designer Dion Lee. She wore a Martin Grant trench coat earlier in the day, when she and Harry visited thousands of adoring fans at the Royal Botanic Gardens, alongside Melbourne’s Yarra River.

Her look was completed with a pair of Manolo Blahnik BB navy stilettos and a gold bracelet on her wrist. In addition to meeting fans, Harry and Meghan also spoke with the Honourable Linda Dessau AC and Anthony Howard QC.

Meghan and Harry wowed crowds in Melbourne. Source: Getty

Playing AFL wasn’t the first time Meghan surprised fans on her first tour of Australia. On Wednesday, she delighted onlookers by baking her very own banana bread in the kitchen of Admiralty House. She later took the baked-good to Dubbo and shared it with local farmers.

Meghan’s banana bread went down well! It has chocolate chips in and a bit of ginger (and I can personally attest to the fact that it is rather nice!) #Dubbo pic.twitter.com/LdmTN5F0ge

— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) October 17, 2018

Meanwhile, Prince Harry has already gushed about his love of Australia, delivering a humorous speech on Tuesday. He thanked the Australian public for welcoming his wife with open arms and even said “g’day” during his address.

“We’re both delighted to be here and really impressed to see you serving beer and tea at an afternoon reception, in true Aussie style,” he joked during the speech at Admiralty House.

The pair have also cuddled koalas and even announced their pregnancy when they were on Australian shores. They’re set to visit Fraser Island, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand as part of their royal tour.