Prince Harry appeared to grimace as he was cornered by a television reporter for a awkward selfie during an event in Melbourne on Thursday.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the Scar Tree Walk in Melbourne’s Fitzroy Gardens, where they were given a tour of the protected cultural heritage site.
It was an event steeped in the history of ‘Narrm’, the Indigenous name for the city, and was meant to share the long cultural heritage within its landscape.
But after a brief walk through the area, Harry, 41, was ambushed by Channel 7 television reporter Paul Dowsley, who excitedly tried to snap a selfie with the Prince.
At the start of the tour, the couple’s communications director, Liam Maguire, was seen engaging in several friendly conversations with the reporter.
But things began to sour when Dowsley continually photobombed Harry and Meghan while they were being filmed by PA Media for press coverage in the UK.
It culminated in an awkward moment between the reporter and the Prince, who appeared to prod Dowsley out of the way of Meghan’s path.
He told the Daily Mail that the interactions with Harry were all good-humoured, and that the Duke had even complimented him on his flowered tie.
‘I suppose it’s a break in protocol to ask for a selfie with a royal but he told me that I’m always so well-dressed,’ he said.
The Duke and Duchess are expected to fly to Sydney later on Thursday.
Channel 7 reporter sparks chaos after trying to snap a selfie with Prince Harry
Near the conclusion of the Scar Tree Walk in Melbourne, which lasted barely half an hour, a Channel 7 TV reporter tried to get a selfie with Harry – sparking chaos.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s communications director Liam Maguire was previously seen engaging in several friendly conversations with Paul Dowsley.
However, the reporter began to attract the attention of the couple’s staff as he darted in and out of camera shots during PA Media’s filming of Harry and Meghan for UK audiences.
It culminated in an awkward moment between the reporter and the Prince on Thursday morning, who appeared to prod Dowsley out of the way of Meghan’s path as he tried to snap a selfie.
After wearing a snappy blue suit the day before, Dowsley was dressed in a beige suit for his attempted duchal selfie paired with a flowered tie.
He told the Daily Mail that the interactions with Harry were all good-humoured, and that the Duke had even complimented him on his bold tie choice.
‘I suppose it’s a break in protocol to ask for a selfie with a royal, but he told me that I’m always so well-dressed,’ he said.
The energetic former Kyle & Jackie O producer, who once worked for TV comic Bert Newton, has been present at every Sussex venue trying to get exclusives.
He was seen being ushered away by a burly security guard, known as ‘Chris from Texas’ by reporters following the tour, as the couple stepped out for an event at the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum on Tuesday night.
Meghan’s glam outfit change for mental health centre
The Duke and Duchess have visited the Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Program, Batyr, on the grounds of Swinburne University.
The event has seen them discuss therapies that empower young people to talk openly about mental health and take charge of their wellbeing.
While Meghan sported a more casual look on Thursday morning, she stepped out in Hawthorn wearing a khaki shift dress, The Anya, which retails on Friends with Frank for $389.
She paired the look with black stiletto heels and dark tights, accessoring with simple gold rings and, once again, a gold Cartier Tank Française watch, thought to have belonged to Prince Harry’s mother, the late Princess Diana.
The timepiece sells for $48,000 new, though Meghan’s would likely be priceless.
After the couple entered the centre, they could be seen smiling and hugging staff.
