The British army captain reported for duty in Australia's capital, Canberra, today to begin a four-week attachment to the Australian army that will take him to the east, west and north coasts of the vast nation.
But before he got down to military business, Harry ignored light rain and cool weather to shake hands and chat with hundreds of cheering well-wishers who gathered at cordons to welcome him outside the Australian War Memorial.
"Seriously, you need to get out of it. I know you're young, but selfies are bad," Nine Network television recorded him saying.
Harry, fourth in line to the British throne he'll move to fifth when brother Prince William's second child is born also shook hands and gave a high-five to ginger-haired 12-year-old Ethan Toscan, who brought a banner that read "Redheads RULE!" Like in Britain, redheads are often teased in Australia, where they are known as "rangas" short for orangutans.
More From This Section
Young and old members of the public gathered at the memorial, as Harry laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before strolling to the museum's World War I and Afghanistan galleries.
Harry arrived at Sydney International Airport early today dressed in army fatigues, and changed into a dress uniform for the official functions at the memorial.
The 30-year-old veteran of two tours in Afghanistan later reported for duty to Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, Australia's Defense Force chief, at the nearby Australian military officers' college.
Captain Harry Wales, as he is known in the British army, will be embedded with a number of Australian army units and regiments in the cities of Darwin, Sydney and Perth.