Tuesday 6 September 2022 11:47 PM Harry and Meghan's royal-not-royal tour: Sussexes deliver speeches and sign ... trends now
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's latest round of public engagements have been compared to a royal tour, with red carpets and photo walkabouts as the couple attend events that are close to their heart this week.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have both delivered speeches during the last two days, with Meghan, 41, opening the One Young World summit in Manchester yesterday, and Harry, 37, speaking at the Invictus Games one year to go event in Germany today.
As the couple paid a flying visit to Dusseldorf today, they were invited to sign an official book and enjoy a boat cruise along the Rhine, with blockades put in place along the city's roads.
The event had many of the hallmarks of a royal visit despite the couple being classed as private citizens rather than royals by German police — including meeting the crowds outside, some of whom were waving the British flag.
Critics have said that their list of engagements this week 'could have been plucked from their calendar' before they left the Firm.
With two events completed, their schedule still includes the WellChild Awards on Thursday, a charity for which Harry is a patron.
Today the Duke of Sussex appeared on stage at the Merkur-Spiel arena as part of an event to mark preparations for the 2023 Invictus Games.
The Paralympic-style event for servicemen and women founded by the prince will be held in the city next year, and the royal told a crowd of journalists he was 'beyond impressed' by what he had seen so far, after being met by hundreds of adoring fans.
As he and wife Meghan left the event, they posed for a group photo with those who had taken part in the press conference.
Earlier in the day the Duke charmed Dusseldorf by speaking German and praising their beer before Meghan posed for selfies and chatted with crowds in a royal walkabout on the latest leg of their pseudo-royal tour of the UK and Europe.
The couple, who are staying at Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate, were all smiles as they arrived in the city's main square where hundreds of royal fans stood for over two hours in the stifling heat to see them promote the games exactly a year before it is due to start next September.
The Telegraph's royal editor Hannah Furness has argued that their trip has a 'distinctly royal feel'.
'All broadly follow the pattern set by the Queen who chooses good causes and good people to honour with a royal visit,' she said.
Their three short visits to the One Young World summit, Invictus Games event and WellChild Awards encompass this pattern.
Earlier today Meghan and Harry met fans with the Duchess of Sussex posing for selfie-after-selfie with well-wishers. She spoke to Maureen and Karl Heinz Kenpen who had stood at the front for over two hours Maureen 83, told Meghan she was English and had moved to Germany to marry.
Meghan told the couple: ‘That is a beautiful love story.'
The Duchess was also presented with a posy by someone in the crowd, a tradition seen at royal visits.
The couple looked overwhelmed by the warmth of the reception and spent close to 15 minutes thanking the fans for coming to see them.
The adoring crowd lapped up every word the couple spoke as they worked their way along the line.
Meghan was flanked by her personal bodyguard Christopher Sanchez who at one point looked concerned as the crowd surged forward and threatened to spill over the metal barricades.
The Duchess looked overwhelmed by the reception she was getting and repeatedly thanked people for waiting to see them.
Meghan takes selfies with well-wishers outside the town hall during the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 - One Year To Go event
Meghan was also handed flowers in a meet-and-greet that looked just like a royal tour event
The Duchess speaks to a young girl and also cooed over a baby in Dusseldorf today
Harry also joined in the fun - shaking hands with the crowds in the centre of Dusseldorf
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex takes selfies with well-wishers outside the town hall during the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 - One Year To Go events
Meghan shakes hands as she and Harry and Prince Harry visit the city as ambassador for the Invictus games, a week-long games for active servicemen and veterans who are ill, injured or wounded
Meghan spent several minutes speaking to people, many of them young women, who had waited for hours to see her
As part of their visit to the German city, police closed junctions and set up miles of roadblocks from Dusseldorf airport to the city centre so that the Sussexes and their entourage, including a personal doctor, could avoid traffic jams on the three mile journey.
As the visit was not a 'royal visit', there were no police motorcycle outriders and accompanying police cars would not turn on their flashing blue lights. But a police source said a vehicle carrying a doctor and medical equipment will have been part of the convoy
