Meghan Markle Cuts Back on Royal Tour Schedule as Prince Harry Steps out Solo

Meghan Markle, who is expecting her first child, is reportedly cutting back on some of her events during her tour through Australia, leaving Prince Harry to go solo on some events.

On Saturday morning, Harry had to attend an Invictus Games road race at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney solo after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had a late night at the opening ceremony Friday. After the race, Harry presented the winners with medals himself and posed for pictures with members of the Australian team.

A source told the Daily Mail that Markle’s number of events is being scaled back due to her pregnancy and she is not feeling sick. While Harry takes in some of the competitions, Markle was “resting back at home, being pregnant takes its toll,” a source said.

“After a busy programme, The Duke and Duchess Of Sussex have decided to cut back The Duchess’s schedule slightly for the next couple of days, ahead of the final week and a half of the tour,” a senior Palace source also told the Daily Mirror.

After the Saturday morning event at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Harry was joined by Markle at The Domain park for a reception at The Pavilion restaurant with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and leaders from support groups for veterans. Members of the Australian Air Force Cadets and Australian Kookaburra Kids Foundation, and Invictus Games competitors also attended the event.

Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2014 as an international competition for wounded veterans and current members of militaries around the world. They were previously held in London, Orlando and Toronto. The next games, scheduled for 2020, will be hosted by Rotterdam and The Hague.

“I have been so proud to be able to introduce my wife to you and we have been so happy to be able to celebrate the personal joy of our newest addition with you all,” Harry said during his opening ceremony speech Friday, reports Entertainment Tonight. “Our Invictus family has turned these games into a symbol of strength, honor and optimism for a new generation.”

The Royal Family announced Markle’s pregnancy on Oct. 15, just as the couple arrived in Australia. Markle has not talked with reporters about the pregnancy, but has spoken to members of the public she has met.

“Meghan told me that pregnancy was like having jet lag,” Charlotte, a 35-year-old woman Markle and Harry met at the surfers mental health group OneWave, said. “She said she was up at 4:30 a.m. this morning doing yoga in her room as she couldn’t sleep. It’s a bit of a double whammy for her, she said, as she has both the baby and jet lag to contend with.”

OneWave’s founder, Grant Treblico told 7 News Sydney that Markle told them she “practices yoga every day. Her mom’s a yoga teacher, and she was talking about how yoga’s her escape.”

“He’s such a good bloke,” Treblico said of Harry. “He actually said today reaching out for help is not a weakness, it’s a strength, so that’s going to change people’s lives around the world.”

After the Invictus Games, Harry and Markle will continue their tour in New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga.

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