The prospect of standing up to give a speech and address a room full of strangers, let alone on the subject of your impending parenthood, is a prospect that would have most people running for the hills.
However, a day after revealing he and his wife Meghan Markle were expecting their first child, the Duke of Sussex took the opportunity to speak publicly about the pregnancy for the first time. And, from the looks of it, he was pretty darn nervous.
During a speech for a reception hosted by the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove at Admiralty House in Sydney, Prince Harry spoke openly about the pregnancy news.
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In an attempt to hide his nerves, the father-to-be threw in a few 'dad jokes' into his speech (no doubt learned from his big brother, Prince William, over the years), joking about the Australian weather.
'You'll also notice that we had a roof on our boat earlier after last year's downpour, and luckily Sydney's sun is shining today, so thank you for organising the weather,' he joked during the speech.
'We're both absolutely delighted to be here, and really impressed to see you serving beer and tea at an afternoon in true Aussie style,' the royal said, prompting laughter from the audience.
'But genuinely, thank you for the incredibly warm welcome and the chance to meet so many Aussies from all walks of life. And, we also genuinely couldn't think of a better place to announce, uh, the, uh, the upcoming baby. Boy or girl. So thank you very, very much.'
Meghan watched her husband of five months from the sidelines, wearing a chic olive green Brandon Maxwell dress and a pair of Princess Diana's butterfly earrings, proving she's already a pro when it comes to maternity style.
A day later, the mum-to-be opened up about her pregnancy symptoms during a visit to Dubbo to meet with a farming family.
Emily Carroll, 33, mother to 13-month-old Ruby and a member of the family, revealed:
'Meghan told me that she’s feeling pretty good so far, which is great, and that she’s running on adrenaline. She said they’re doing 76 engagements in 16 days, with maybe one rest in the middle. She’s made for this royal business, isn’t she?'
She added: 'They’re both great with kids.'
We can't wait to see these two become parents!
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
