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The Duke and Duchess might need to buy an extra suitcase to take home all the gifts they’ve already received, on just day two of their royal tour of southern Africa.
Visiting the colourful Bo Kaap area of Cape Town on Tuesday the couple took part in Heritage Day celebrations, a day which celebrates the diversity of cultures, beliefs and traditions that make up the nation.
The couple were greeted by live music, dancing in the streets and even sat down with a family to have a homemade afternoon tea.
Meghan and Harry enjoyed the festivities of the Heritage Day celebrations. (Image: Getty)
The royal couple also took the time to chat with royal fans who had come to welcome them, including locals from the Brave Foundation.
The Brave Foundation supports survivors of serious physical trauma, injury and chronic disease, and Meghan and Harry chatted to the founder Robyne Conway and her team who also showered the new parents in gifts, including presents for four-month-old Archie.
Following the interaction Robyne revealed what gifts they’d given the royals to Town & Country Magazine saying, “We gave them one of our favourite soaps which is wild seaweed harvested from the national park that we want to build our retreat in.
“We gave them massage oils, lip balms, we gave them pure unbleached cotton socks.”
Meghan and Harry stopped to chat to the team at the Brave Foundation, who help to support survivors of physical trauma, injury and chronic disease. (Image: Getty)
She also adds she gifted all three of them – Harry, Meghan and Archie – mediation beads known as ‘malas’.
“We also made them, for Archie, Meghan and Harry, little blessed arm malas,” she told the publication.
“Our beads are made from African crystal. Then they have rudraksha seeds, and they have a bead from a temple in Ethiopia, so it’s like a whole continent.”
Seven-year-old Sancuma Nkyomiyapi gifted the couple the beads, before they chatted with 11-year-old Libo.
“She asked for a hug, and then I gave her a hug,” Libo told Town & Country.
“And the prince also asked for a hug. It was wonderful. They are awesome.”
Robyne also had high praise for Meghan and Harry saying, “They seemed very receptive and very interested.
“They spoke to each person individually which was amazing, nobody was really expecting that.”
She also spoke about the Brave Foundation, who hope to raise enough funds to build the world’s first mixed ability retreat centre, and spoke about how she thought the organisation aligned incredibly well with Harry and Meghan’s own work and passions.
Meghan chatted with people from the Brave Foundation and walked away with an armful of gifts. (Image: Getty)
Meghan and Harry’s visit to Bo Kaap marked just one of the many engagements for the royal couple on their second day of their official tour.
In the morning they visited Monwabisi Beach to take part in a ‘surf therapy’ session with the NGO Waves for Change and witnessed the amazing work the Lunchbox Fund and the Commonwealth Litter Programme are doing.
To conclude their busy day the couple attended a reception for youth, community and civil society leaders at the British High Commissioner’s Residence, where they awarded two young volunteers with Commonwealth Points of Light awards, and also received another cute present for Archie – a rhino plush toy!
While Archie has not yet made an appearance on the royal tour – besides a brief glimpse as the Sussexes disembarked their British Airways flight on Monday morning – there’s a high chance he’ll make an appearance some time over the remaining eight days.
At just under five months old, Archie is now the youngest royal to go on a royal tour, following in the footsteps of his big cousin Prince George, who accompanied his parents the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during their tour Australia and New Zealand when he was eight months old.
Harry and Meghan awarded young volunteers, Jade and Hunter, Commonwealth Points of Light awards. (Image: Getty)
On Wednesday (South African time) Meghan and Harry will meet with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his wife at their foundation before Meghan visits the Woodstock Exchange and mothers2mothers and Harry departs for Botswana.
Harry is set to have a few days also visiting Angola and Malawi, while Meghan continues engagements in South Africa.
See the full 10-day royal tour itinerary here.
