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How the Duchess of Sussex Is Preparing for Her First Marathon Royal Tour

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Image: Getty

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will partake in no less than 76 engagements on their 16-day royal tour to Australia, Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand. They’ll meet not one, but two koalas at the Taronga Zoo. They’ll visit Bondi Beach. They’ll dress up for a state dinner in Fiji. They’ll eat a barbecue lunch and plant trees with New Zealand schoolchildren. And they’ll do 71 other things.

It’s a doozy, for sure. And for a newly minted member of the royal family, it might also be daunting. A daunting doozy. So how is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, preparing for such an endeavor?

A major step was her first solo engagement at the Royal Academy of Arts’ new “Oceania” exhibition. Not only was the subject matter relevant (“It’s a great introduction to the sights and sounds of that part of the world,” she told reporters), but Meghan was able gain valuable experience handling an appearance by herself. That’ll be invaluable as she has two solo appearances on her tour calendar.

Plus, Meghan had already been honing her public speaking skills before jetting off to the other side of the world. She’s an accomplished orator—even speaking at the United Nations in 2015—but at a lunch for her cookbook, Together, she delivered off-the-cuff remarks without any notes. In Fiji, says Kensington Palace, “the Duchess will say a few words.”

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry at the Commonwealth Youth Challenge

Photo: Getty

Meghan, it’s said, is also undergoing “duchess lessons” after becoming part of the royal family. Multiple reports from May alleged that Samantha Cohen, a former aide of the Queen, “has been helping the new duchess with protocol and navigating how to address people and manage her new position in the royal world.”

When in doubt, Prince Harry and Meghan will likely have a seasoned team of royal employees to turn to. In general, royal overseas visits involve an entourage: When Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte went to Canada, they traveled with a team of 12. It included private secretaries and press secretaries, as well as a hairdresser and stylist.

The Queen’s former press secretary told The Mirror that this royal tour will be Meghan’s ultimate “litmus test.” From the looks of it, the Duchess has studied up.

Now Read: All About Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex’s New Home at Kensington Palace

This article first appeared on Vogue.com

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