Prince Harry and Meghan Markle followed in the footsteps of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana when they embarked on a 16-day royal tour of Australia, Tonga, New Zealand and Fiji in 2018.
The Duke's parents travelled to Australia and New Zealand on their first overseas tour together, while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's trip marked their second official engagement abroad together.
What's more, the Sussexes' tour – which saw them open the Invictus Games in Australia – was special for more than one reason, as royal photographer Zak Hussein has revealed.
The son of Anwar Hussein, who has notably taken unforgettable images of royal family members including the Queen, The Queen Mother and Princess Diana over the years, recalled the moment the couple were welcomed when they stepped off the plane in Australia.
Speaking to People, Hussein said: 'This little five-year-old boy, Luke Vincent, who has Down syndrome, ran out from under the rope and hugged Harry. It happened really quickly—I'm glad I had a long lens, as we were stationed a long distance away and got it all with Meghan's reaction.'
'It very much shows how they are. They'd just announced their pregnancy, and they were showing their natural affinity.'
Speaking of the young boy Luke, his principal at Buninyong Public School, Anne van Dartel, previously reflected on his reaction to seeing Prince Harry when speaking to the news outlet.
'Luke's thing is Santa Claus,' she said. 'And so as soon as he saw it [Harry's beard], we went into the panic mode because he's touching a member of the royal family! And he continued to do it. And he hugged him. So what you and I can't get away with, my beautiful friend can.'
Continuing to share his recollections from the pair's 2018 tour, Hussein highlighted that not long after they set foot in Australia, which had been experiencing a two-year drought prior to their arrival, the country unexpectedly welcomed rain.
'You had this prince and this duchess who landed in this small town, and suddenly it was like they brought on this rain, in this Biblical moment,' Hussein said.
During the spell of rain, which began as Prince Harry was preparing to give his speech in Dubbo, New South Wales, on the second day of their tour, Markle sheltered her husband from the downpour with an umbrella.
Prince Harry was later seen mirroring his wife's sweet gesture for her during the same event, which came months after the couple (who have since left royal life and taken up residency in California), announced they were parents-to-be, ahead of welcoming their first child, Archie.
Hussein's recent account of the royals comes after his 83-year-old father recalled his time behind the came with the late Princess Diana.
Speaking to the same publication, he explained that he witnessed Princess Diana's evolution from 'shy Di' to a confident heroine. The royal photographer, who's potentially taken a million pictures of Princess Diana, told the LA Times, said: 'I saw every side of Diana. She was a genuine, good human being.
'You could see her go from shy Di, looking down, to becoming stronger — which she had to do. She wanted to prove she was brave enough to do what she wanted.
'The personal relationship between a princess and a photographer who's with them all the time — they've got a closeness but also a distance in order to get a really interesting take,' he added.
The upcoming Princess Diana: Accredited Access Exhibition, which includes Hussein's images of the royal family, is currently open in Chicago and Los Angeles and due to open in New York later this year.
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