Prince Harry and Meghan Markle greeted by thousands of exited royal fans as they touch down in Melbourne

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have landed in Melbourne to kick off the third day of their tour Down Under.

Hundreds of locals gathered in and around the stunning Royal Botanical Gardens in the city from as early as 5am to catch a glimpse of the royal couple during their whistle stop visit.

Today has a special significance for both Meghan and Harry as they visit projects throughout the city that have align with their goals on the tour, of encompassing the work of youth leadership, sustainability and meeting marginalised groups in society.

Despite the royal couple arriving 20 minutes late for their first engagement of the day, the crowd of around 5,000 showed no sign of dampening their enthusiasm.

Rhys Pratt, eight, from Melbourne, begged his mum Naomi to allow him to take the day off school and he even diligently made a flag bearing the colours of the county of Sussex.

Rhys said: “I wanted to come here so badly but my mum said I had to go to school. My dad is from Yorkshire in England and I really love Harry and Meghan so after I promised to make a flag to give to them my mum said she would take me.”

Harry told the schoolboy his creation was “cool” and thanked him for coming to meet him.

Rhys said: “Everybody in Melbourne loves Harry and Meghan and all my friends will be so jealous I got to meet them.”

The popularity of royal couple among Australians has been in no doubt since they landed on Monday. Just hours later they shared with the world the exciting news that they are expecting their first child, due to be born in the Spring.

Their engagement with local communities has been the focus of front page editorials and hours of television news reel, with locals showing their support in their hundreds and thousands wherever the opportunity presents itself.

After spending 25 minutes talking to well-wishers and taking an arrant of gifts including cuddly toys, flags, newspaper cuttings and handmade trinkets, the Duke and Duchess stopped to playfully hold five and a half month Harriet Bonaddido and talk to her mum, Jessica.

The 28-year-old said: “As soon as I introduced my daughter to Harry he said ‘that’s a great name’. Maybe they will choose it for their own child which would be fun.

“Meghan was right behind him and was playfully tickling her toes and said how sweet it was that I’d brought her out today.

Once again, the couple abandoned their strict scheduling to enable them to meet as many fans as possible on their first engagement before they were received by the Governor of Victoria.

At a reception the royal newlyweds will meet a diverse group of young Victorian leaders and community members including the Queen’s Young Leader, Hunter Johnson, founder of The Man Cave mental health initiative.

Later in the day the duke and duchess will meet with other indigenous groups at a cafe, visit a school to discuss sustainability programmes and take part in a beach clean with volunteers passionate about keeping Melbourne’s stunning beaches safe and litter free.