Crowds had been gathering since early morning outside the MCG precinct, which says something about the pull these two still have, whatever anyone thinks of the circumstances that brought them here.

Harry got on the field. That part actually happened — not a ceremonial wave from the boundary but a real attempt at handballing, which is harder than it looks and makes most people look slightly ridiculous the first time. He looked like someone who’d been briefed but not over-rehearsed, which is probably the right balance for that kind of thing. Meghan watched from the side. The crowd was loud.

The indigenous cultural walk earlier in the day was quieter, more deliberate. These engagements tend to get flattened into a single line in the coverage — “the couple participated in a cultural walk” — but the itinerary suggested genuine time spent, not a photo stop. Whether that translates into anything lasting is a different question, and probably an unfair one to answer after two days.

Honestly? The Melbourne leg seemed to go better than it had any reason to. Public tours like this carry real risk of going flat or slightly off — a moment that reads wrong, a crowd thinner than expected, a handshake that becomes a headline for the wrong reasons. None of that happened. The crowds were warm, the interactions mostly unscripted-looking, and the coverage didn’t turn.

Fans who’d waited for hours got what they came for. Some of them had driven from regional Victoria. One woman outside the Botanical Gardens had been there since 7am, which is either devotion or a very slow morning, depending on your perspective. She got a handshake and, by her account, a real conversation rather than the standard thirty-second exchange. People notice the difference.

Sydney comes next. Larger city, bigger crowds likely, more complex logistics, and a media presence that tends to run hotter. The Opera House backdrop practically generates its own coverage. The Australian leg of the tour has been, so far, something quieter and more grounded than the setting usually allows — whether Sydney sustains that or shifts the register entirely is the part worth watching.

Melbourne, at least, is done. Whatever impressions were made, they’re made.