Royal tour: Tonga rolls out red carpet for Harry and Meghan

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have received a royal welcome on arrival in the South Pacific nation of Tonga.

They were greeted by a Tongan princess when they landed as well as hundreds of children - who were given the day off school to cheer the couple's arrival.

A meeting with Tonga's king and queen was followed by traditional dancing and singing at an evening party.

Meghan opted for the colours of the Tongan flag as she arrived wearing a red dress, before changing into white.

Some observers were quick to spot that she had forgotten to remove the label of her red dress.

Schoolchildren lined the streets from the airport to the capital of Nuku'alofa, waving flags and cheering as the royal convoy made the 40-minute journey.

Prince Harry and Meghan attended a private audience with King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau'u at Consular House before an evening reception and dinner.

As the royal couple entered the event they were serenaded by a band playing John Lennon's Imagine.

In a speech, the duke said that going to Tonga was like visiting "an extended family".

He said: "My grandparents have visited a number of times and Your Majesties have been frequent visitors to see my family over the years."

He also read a message from his grandmother, the Queen, which spoke of the "close relationship" between the royal families.

The prince signed off his speech with "malo 'aupito", Tongan for "thank you very much".

Tonga is the latest stop on the whirlwind tour for the couple, who have already visited Australia, where Harry opened the Invictus Games, and Fiji.

The parents-to-be will return to Australia on Friday before finishing their 16-day tour in New Zealand.

Earlier in the day, before leaving Fiji, the duke unveiled a statue of a largely unknown British-Fijian war hero who died in battle in 1972.