Beaming Prince Harry and Meghan Markle don floral garlands for noisy Tongan welcome

Prince Harry and Meghan are given flower garlands at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre
Getty Images
Robert Jobson26 October 2018

A beaming Prince Harry and Meghan were garlanded today as they arrived for a noisy celebration of Tongan youth and culture.

The royal couple had the powerful smelling flowers - made from Fa and Puatonga - placed and tied around their necks as they were welcomed to the show of Tongan youth projects and handicrafts.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, on the third leg of their four country Commonwealth tour, joined Princess Angelika and Prince Ata, King’s Tupou VI’s son and daughter, at the Fa'onelua Centre, showing products, including traditional mats and 'tapa' cloth, carvings, bracelets made from whale bone and wood.

Inside they sat on two throne-like chairs in the centre of the room, while Princess Angelika, delivered her short address after prayer was read.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit an exhibition of Tongan handicrafts, mats and tapa cloths
PA

The princess said the royal couple were “an inspiration to the youth of the Commonwealth” for “shining a light on youth empowerment”

And the princess added that their historic visit to the South Pacific to what Captain James Cook called “Friendly Islands” had inspired the youth in Tongan to be “the best they can be.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex later met with Tongan prime minister Akilisi Pohiva
PA

She said the “historical highlight” in relations between Britain and Tonga had been the Queen’s visit to the island in 1953.

She went on, “Your visit today draws attention to the fundamentals of today’s youth, youth leadership, youth empowerment and addressing the social, economic and environmental challenges of our region.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex smiles during a visit to Tupou College in Tonga
AP

“Your visits inspires and has been an inspiration for the youth of Tonga to be the best they can be.

“You are a beacon of hope to us all. Shining a light and being an inspiration to youth across the Commonwealth,” she said.

The princess, a diplomat herself, called the visit by Harry and Meghan as the “Ultimate diplomacy.”

Duke and Duchess of Sussex's South Pacific Tour - Best Pictures

1/87

Outside the couple were given a Taovala (an outfit added onto your dress) which signifies Tongan respect to the higher ranks.

They met local Tongan traders and craftsmen as the Masani group of singers and dancers performed island music and songs. Harry appears to do a little jig as the music started.

They were given a picture of the Royal Tongan Motif, Fata O Tu’i Tongan. Uili Lousi, art and artisan, said, “They said they will put it in their home”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in