Harry and Meghan on tour: Five best moments of newlyweds’ first overseas trip

The end was marked by Kensington Palace posting a photo of Meghan cradling her baby bump and surrounded by towering tree trunks, along with a message of gratitude from the royal couple.

It read on Instagram: “Thank you New Zealand for the most wonderful last week of our tour. It has been a privilege to meet so many friendly Kiwis.

“Australia, Fiji, Tonga and NZ – we leave feeling inspired and reminded of how every single one of us can make a difference.”

It was always going to be fascinating to see how Prince Harry and Meghan coped with their first major overseas trip, but it was the unexpected that made this an unforgettable tour.

As everyone begins their long flights home, these are my top five standout moments.

:: Sydney, Australia

It was here the tour started with a bump, when the standard pre-tour media briefing by Kensington Palace turned into a baby announcement.

We were all asked to huddle around a phone to listen to Jason Knauf, communications secretary to the duke and duchess, who was back in London, as he told us Prince Harry and Meghan were expecting their first child next spring.

Any hope of an early night and sleeping off the jet lag went out the window as we all rushed off to go live or file reports.

If there wasn’t already enough hype around this tour, this took it to another level. Royals don’t usually like personal matters to overshadow their official work but there was no avoiding it over the next 16 days, as the couple were showered with cuddly toys, baby gifts and endless congratulations at every walkabout.

And of course we all kept our eyes on Meghan for what Harry would later describe as “our little bump”.

:: Dubbo, Australia

The best days are often the ones where things don’t quite go to plan, and their visit to the drought-stricken rural community of Dubbo was one of those moments.

It tipped it down. Ponchos, umbrellas and crowds running for cover in a part of Australia that hasn’t seen any significant rainfall for two years.

The duke and duchess were meant to be meeting children playing sport but the rain was so heavy that protocol went out the window with Prince Harry calling over dozens of soaking wet schoolchildren for an impromptu meet and greet.

He seemed to be in his element. But one of the stand out images from this tour was Meghan holding an umbrella for her husband in the pouring rain, as he delivered a very moving speech supporting the farmers who’ve struggled through the drought. Team work is something these two are getting very good at.

:: Bondi Beach, Australia

Shoes off and sitting cross-legged on Bondi beach. This was the moment Harry and Meghan looked most relaxed.

Surrounded by neon-clad surfers and yogis, they sat down with a group called One Wave to talk about mental health.

It was the moment that I realised just how big an impact their Heads Together campaign, encouraging people to talk, is having not just in the UK but on the other side of the world.

As they laughed and joked with this like-minded group there was plenty of hand-holding and knowing looks between the couple.

They have only been married just over five months so you’d probably expect it, but those constant public displays of affection that we saw throughout the tour still set Harry and Meghan apart from any other Windsor couples.

:: Fiji

Twenty thousand people turned out to see them in Fiji’s capital Suva. And while most of us may have looked a bit awestruck or overwhelmed, the Duchess of Sussex was a picture of calm and composure.

It was amazing to watch her and easy to forget that this was Meghan’s first major overseas tour. You also have to factor in that she is pregnant and despite admitting earlier in the tour that she was feeling a bit tired, she still largely kept up with the royal programme.

Because of her acting career you would expect her to be a confident public speaker, and her speeches haven’t disappointed, making it clear that she still wants to promote gender equality and female empowerment, even within the confines of royal life.

But in Fiji her efforts to champion women was overshadowed when something seemed to go wrong with her trip to Suva’s market.

Her visit was cut short, you can see her female bodyguard telling her to leave after only eight minutes. There was lots of confusion about what exactly had gone on, the palace eventually saying it was due to crowd management issues. Whatever the reason it was a reminder this is all new to Meghan, and her new team.

:: Rotorua, New Zealand

The Maori welcome ceremony on their final day was the most powerful we’ve seen of the tour.

Quotes from my cameraman Adam Cole made it into the New Zealand Herald and sum it up best, “it was a hell of a way to end the tour… it stole the show – what a great last day,” he told a Kiwi journalist.

But this was also a day that displayed how the duke and duchess want to portray themselves on the world stage. Dressed formally, and both wearing Maori cloaks, the pictures are striking. A serious power couple who have said and done all the right things.

Again a local schoolgirl told me that Meghan was an inspiration to her; it is no exaggeration to say that everywhere we’ve visited, the duchess has already attracted a very loyal female following.

Prince Harry was alongside his wife at every walkabout giving a few hugs and high-fives but he has seemed more serious, more statesmanlike. Less Prince Harry, more Duke of Sussex.

I’m still baffled why we didn’t do any rugby-related visits, he is mad about the game. But this is a new phase in his life.

It is incredible to think that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex only got engaged last November. Over the past three weeks they have shown themselves to be an impressive partnership as they prepare for their next important roles, becoming parents.