Harry and Meghan arrive in Cape Town with Archie – and lots of his clothes to give away

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have arrived in Cape Town with their baby son Archie for their first official royal tour as a family.

Harry and Meghan flew to South Africa on a British Airways commercial flight that landed almost 40 minutes late.

They were flanked by staff wearing high visibility jackets as they disembarked the plane privately ahead of their first appearance in the city.

The couple then visited the Nyanga township in Cape Town to see an initiative which teaches children about their rights, self-awareness and safety.

The initiative, run by The Justice Desk human rights organisation, also provides self-defence classes and female empowerment training to young girls.

The organisation is supported by the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, which has Harry as its president and Meghan as vice-president.

Security was high ahead of the visit to the grounds of Nyanga Methodist Church, with the street blocked off to traffic by police cars and officers stopping people walking past.

But there was a carnival atmosphere inside the compound with female dancers in traditional costume and ecstatic youngsters waving the national flag.

Meghan and Harry appeared relaxed and held hands after they were welcomed by Jessica Dewhurst, Justice Desk founder, and Theodora Luthuli, the organisation’s community leader.

In tribute to the region the duchess wore a dress by the label Mayamiko, an ethical and sustainable women’s clothing and lifestyle brand that makes its clothes in Malawi.

The dress was reportedly on sale for £69 on Mayamiko’s website before it sold out.

Meghan told the young women and others from the community that it was her “first time” in South Africa, adding: “You’re incredible and so powerful, because you’re all powerful.”

Her words come after campaigners took to the streets of Cape Town earlier this month following a series of attacks on women.

The demonstrators were protesting at what they claimed was their government’s failure to deal with the problem.

Meghan and Harry watched South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to his country following days of protests, when he acknowledged the country was facing a national crisis of violence against women.

The duchess made a speech at the event in which she addressed those gathered as “a woman of colour and as your sister”.

She said: “Maya Angelou, the legendary poet and civil rights activist, once said ‘each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it, possibly without claiming it, she stands up for all women.’

“Now I know it’s not easy and I know it must feel insurmountable at times, but your commitment to what is right gives all of us hope, especially your brothers and sisters here in your community who need you to continue to shine your light brightly. Your commitment is inspiring, it is energising and it is extraordinary.

“You must keep going, you must know that what you’re doing not only matters, it is vital because you are vital.

“And just on one personal note, may I just say that while I am here with my husband as a member of the Royal Family, I want you to know that for me I am here with you as a mother, as a wife, as a woman, as a woman of colour and as your sister.”

Harry, Meghan and four-month old Archie are visiting Africa over 10 days with the duchess and the baby staying in South Africa for the duration.

The duke will visit Angola, Malawi and Botswana before being reunited with his family in Johannesburg.

Harry and Meghan arrived in South Africa laden with gifts for the nation’s children, with the presents having originally been donated to their son Archie.

They will give clothes, books and other items to the Africa-based charity mothers2mothers, which trains and employs women living with HIV as community health workers.

Royal fans will be hoping to get a glimpse of Archie, who a Palace source has described as “an extra special small passenger to make things a little more lively”.

The source, who said the gifts would be presented to the charity mothers2mothers, added: “The duke and duchess were inundated with gifts for baby Archie from organisations and the general public.

“They were incredibly grateful, but one little baby can only wear so many clothes and he’s growing fast.”

Harry will travel to Angola on Friday to pay homage to the work of his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, who campaigned for landmines to be outlawed during a visit she made to the country in 1997.

He will also pay tribute to a British soldier killed by an elephant during anti-poaching operations in Malawi when he visits the country on 30 September to focus attention on efforts to protect endangered animals.

A post about the tour on the royal couple’s official Instagram account said: “The duke is especially proud to continue the legacy left by his mother with her work in Angola as he joins Halo Trust again in an effort to rid the world of landmines.”

:: Analysis: Africa trip gives Harry and Meghan a chance to change negative perceptions

By Rhiannon Mills, royal correspondent in Cape Town

Having their official arrival at Nyanga township, described as the murder capital of South Africa, was a striking start to this 10 day tour.

And straight away Harry and Meghan wanted to address one of the most pressing issues for the country, the national crisis of violence against women.

Harry talked about the need to redefine masculinity, saying that “no man is born to cause harm to women”.

But it was Meghan’s speech that was the stand-out moment.

She described how she and Harry had been following from afar the protests that have been taking place here to keep woman and children safe and protect them from rape and murder.

She talked about how for the majority of her life she has been advocating on the issue of female empowerment, saying “when women feel empowered the entire community flourishes”.

Her confident delivery was no doubt helped by her former life as an actress, and the message couldn’t have been clearer on how she wants to make a difference as a member of the royal family.

Acknowledging her mixed race heritage and showing that as a women of colour she obviously hopes to be able to help the monarchy to reach out to a more diverse audience.

With musicians ready to welcome them, the couple were soon dancing with the young girls who had come to perform for them.

Harry has always received a warm welcome in South Africa, and certainly their arrival felt very upbeat and positive, compared to the negative stories that have appeared throughout the summer about the Sussexes.

This tour is a chance to change those negative perceptions and get the focus back on the work they do, using a large dose of charm and concentrating on very current issues that need tackling now.

(c) Sky News 2019: Harry and Meghan arrive in Cape Town with Archie – and lots of his clothes to give away