Harry urges pregnant Meghan to pace herself amid busy 16-day tour

Updated

The pregnant Duchess of Sussex has been urged to pace herself by her husband after a late night watching the Invictus Games opening ceremony, royal sources have said.

Meghan pulled out of an arranged meeting with Invictus Games competitors to rest after Saturday's ceremony overran by nearly two hours, leaving the Duke to present the medals alone on Sunday morning.

The Sussexes are currently part-way through a gruelling 16-day tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga, with 76 events on their schedule.

The Duke of Sussex met Invictus athletes on Sunday
The Duke of Sussex met Invictus athletes on Sunday

The mother-to-be opted to rest following a late night on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House, after an electrical storm delayed the launch event of the Games.

A royal source said the duchess was "not sick, just tired" and was keen to take part in everything.

The source added: "We have to try to pace her. We have to make sure she is well paced and not overdoing it.

"She had a very late night last night.

"She wants to do everything, but Prince Harry is encouraging her to pace herself."

The Duke of Sussex poses for a photo with Invictus athletes
The Duke of Sussex poses for a photo with Invictus athletes

The baby news was announced on the eve of the duke and duchess's first official visit outside the UK and Ireland.

The source added: "We want to make sure she gets enough rest at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day.

"If it has been a very late night due to unforeseen circumstances, we have to adjust for that."

At Sunday's Invictus event, Harry shared a laugh with one Australian athlete who appeared to ask him to sign a pair of swimming trunks – or "budgie smugglers".

Later, Harry actually donned a pair of trunks – but over his jeans.

The Duke of Sussex reacts as Australian Invictus Games athlete Benjamin Yeomans puts a pair of swimming trunks on his head
The Duke of Sussex reacts as Australian Invictus Games athlete Benjamin Yeomans puts a pair of swimming trunks on his head

They were presented to him by disabled sports presenter Dylan Alcott and two members of the Australian Invictus Games team at Admiralty House.

Mr Alcott, who is a triple Paralympic gold medallist in wheelchair tennis and wheelchair basketball, said: "He said: 'Shall I put them on?'. We said: 'One hundred per cent'. So he put them on. Good on him."

Harry, who presented medals to competitors in the road bike time trial, also spoke to Paul Guest, who has an Invictus tattoo on his face.

Mr Guest, 54, from Essex, said he used to use his tattoos as a means of hiding away, but now they are a topic of conversation when he meets the duke.

The former serviceman, who toured Northern Ireland as a mine warfare specialist, said: "I used them so people would leave me alone and that I felt safe.

"They've enabled me to handle people more, they've got something to approach me about. They don't talk to me about my disability, they talk to me about my tattoos.

Harry also spoke to an athlete with Invictus Games face tattoos
Harry also spoke to an athlete with Invictus Games face tattoos

"It's nice to see that Harry remembers me and he remembers the chats we've had. It's not like it's something he says and then walks off and forgets about it.

"He remembers. He remembered my wife, he asked her how she's doing, so he keeps it all inside of him."

Meghan joined Harry for later engagements on Sunday, with the couple attending a reception at the Pavilion Restaurant in the Domain for Invictus competitors, their families and friends hosted by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

The couple had a busy Saturday, starting off with the opening of an extension to the Anzac memorial in Hyde Park, then on to Cockatoo Island to watch the Jaguar Land Rover Driving Challenge as part of Invictus.

In the evening, the couple attended a reception for the Games and went on to attend the opening ceremony.

They will next travel to Fraser Island, off the coast of Queensland, with Monday's planned engagements including a visit to Lake McKenzie and a walkabout on the Kingfisher Bay.

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