Harry and Meghan arrive in Australia for four-day tour

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have arrived in Australia for a four-day tour which will see them combine visits to charitable causes alongside private, money-making engagements.

The couple - no longer working royals and visiting in a private capacity - will meet patients and medics at a children's hospital, military veterans and their families, and survivors of family violence.

The schedule also reflects the commercial aspect of the trip, with Prince Harry due to give a keynote speech at summit where tickets cost up to A$2,400 (£1,260) per person.

Meghan will hold an "in-person conversation" at a women-only "girls weekend" in Sydney hosted by the producers of the Her Best Life podcast.

It is unclear how much Prince Harry and Meghan are being paid for the commercial events.

The couple landed at Melbourne airport around 06:30 on Tuesday (21:30 BST Monday) on a commercial Qantas flight from Los Angeles.

It is Harry and Meghan's first time in Australia since 2018 when they spent around nine days in the country as part of an intense tour just a few months after their marriage.

While that trip saw large crowds gather to greet them wherever they went, this time there are no events planned to meet members of the public.

After stepping down as working royals in January 2020 and giving up their His and Her Royal Highness (HRH) titles, Prince Harry and Meghan are visiting as private citizens and say that the trip is privately funded.

But there are questions over whether Australian taxpayers are picking up any of the bill for policing during the visit.

The visit will take place in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, and while charitable causes, issues and organisations close to their hearts are central to the visit, as private citizens, the couple are free to personally profit from the trip.

At the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, hundreds of people gathered in the foyer for a glimpse of Harry and Meghan on Tuesday.

The couple talked animatedly to children being treated there, and their parents - posing for selfies giving hugs and shaking hands. The duke and duchess then met with other onlookers - mainly staff and patients with their families.

Among the crowd was Emily Burke and her three-year-old daughter Phoebe who had just been discharged from an overnight stay.

"We just found out they were coming so we hung around," Burke told the BBC, adding that "Meghan came and had a little chat with Phoebe... she was commenting on her Bluey slippers".

Meghan also visited a women's refuge in Melbourne, where she served plates of frittata to people at the centre.

She later sat down and ate with them, remarking that "we landed here this morning so my jet lag hasn't quite hit yet".

Prince Harry is due to give a keynote speech at the InterEdge Psychosocial Safety Summit in Melbourne later this week, where tickets to attend cost from around A$1,000 up to A$2,400. Some profits go to the charity Lifeline. The BBC has asked organisers whether the Duke is receiving a fee.

And though the official tour programme ends on Friday evening with a rugby match in Sydney, on Saturday the Duchess will hold an "in-person conversation" at a wellness retreat in a five-star Sydney beachside hotel.

Guests are paying up to A$3,199 to attend a "girls' weekend", with a VIP package including the opportunity to get a group table photograph with Meghan.

It is not known what the duchess will be paid for her involvement in the event, which has not sold out and is still advertising a "handful of additional rooms".

There are also suggestions that Australia is being considered as a market for Meghan's As Ever lifestyle brand – which has featured prominently in a Netflix series made by the couple's production company.

Last year it registered trademarks in 12 different product categories in Australia, according to a government intellectual property database.

It is understood the couple have opted not to do public meet-and-greets because they are keen to "minimise disruption" to the public and to host organisations.

Police in Victoria and New South Wales have confirmed they will have a presence, though neither police service would comment whether Australian taxpayers would be picking up the tab.

"The New South Wales Police Force will conduct an operation to ensure public safety is maintained during the visit by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex," a police spokesperson said.

"The operation will require some additional security measures throughout their stay in New South Wales, while minimising any disruption to the community."

A spokesperson for Victoria Police said they were "aware two high-profile people are visiting Melbourne in a private capacity in April".

"Police routinely assess events and visits and will deploy resources as necessary to ensure community safety."

Security is a delicate subject for Prince Harry – who is fifth in line to the British throne – after he lost a court appeal against the downgrading of his protection while in the UK.

The Australia trip will be his first public appearance since it emerged last week he was being sued for defamation by Sentebale - the African charity he co-founded.

Additional reporting by Lana Lam in Sydney.