Prince Harry, Meghan bring smiles to young patients as they continue royal tradition

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have seemingly paid a touching tribute to late Princess Diana and King Charles as they began their Australia trip.

Soon after arriving in Melbourne, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex headed to the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, where they received a warm welcome, per People Magazine.

The report revealed that Harry and Meghan spent time speaking with children and parents and also posed for photos.

The couple also offered words of encouragement to young patients. And when asked what they are most looking forward to, Harry said, “Everything.”

Speaking with the publication, a 12-year-old patient said, “I gave Harry flowers and he said 'thank you' and he told me to 'keep on being brave.'”

“It cheered me up a lot and I’ll keep thinking about that,” they added.

A six-week-old Millie, who had been discharged just three days earlier, returned to the hospital for a check-up and was able to meet with Harry and Meghan.

“One day, I’ll be able to tell her she met the prince,” said her mother.

Sharing her stance on the non-royal visit by Harry and Meghan, Professor Christine Kilpatrick AO who serves as Board Chair of The Royal Children's Hospital said, “Look around and you can see the crowds of people, the smiles on their faces and what it means to them.”

“Everyone is absolutely delighted,” she continued. “You can’t measure the morale boost, but it is palpable.”

"Many of these patients have been here for quite some time and are often very frequent visitors to the hospital, a joy like this is wonderful for them.”

Harry and Meghan’s first stop also carried historical significance as decades earlier, Princess Diana and then-Prince Charles had visited the same children’s hospital during their 1985 tour of Australia.