His pristine white uniform was the epitome of buttoned-up respectability . But that was Prince Harry ’ s only nod to formality yesterday as he began his month-long visit Down Under . Indeed , the playful royal larked around like a true larrikin . He laughed and joked with wellwishers . He offered handshakes and high fives . And he gurned like a good-un , making himself an instant hit with younger fans . Prince Harry was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra , all keen to catch a glimpse of the royal . The Prince pulled funny faces at a young girl waiting in the crowd with her mother , as others snapped photos on their smartphones . 'The people 's Prince ' continued to show off his playful side , high-fiving a young boy who was waiting behind a barricade . The Prince is in Australia to report for official military duty but he enjoyed his interaction with excited fans . Prince Harry has declared 'selfies are bad ' during his visit to the Australian capital of Canberra as revellers scrambled to get a piece of the royal on their camera phones . The prince spent 20 minutes chatting and posing for photographs for crowds in Canberra , where he made a beeline for a youngster with a banner saying ‘ Redheads Rule ’ . Ginger-haired Ethan Toscan , 12 , who earned a high five from the royal after he spotted his home-made sign in the crowd , said : ‘ He said it was awesome to be a redhead . 'It was a pleasure meeting the prince and being able to shake his hand and give him a high five . I ’ m over the moon. ’ While Harry was clearly eager to please , he didn ’ t go as far as agreeing to a selfie with a teenage admirer . The prince , 30 , smiled as he told the girl : ‘ No , I hate selfies ... I know you ’ re young , but selfies are bad . Just take a normal photograph. ’ This seems to be a view shared by his grandmother , the Queen , who has said she finds it ‘ strange ’ to be greeted by a sea of smartphones at public engagements . Harry joked around with Ethan after spotting his sign and walking over to chat with the 12-year-old boy . Young Prince Harry fan Ethan poses with his 'Red Heads Rule ' poster outside Canberra 's War Memorial on Monday . Hundreds waited in the rain to see Harry , who was wearing a wristband in support of his charity project the Invictus Games – a sports event for injured service personnel – featuring the slogan : ‘ I am the master of my fate. ’ On arrival at the Australian War Memorial , he laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier . It is likely to be his only public engagement during a four-week attachment to the Australian army , during which he is expected to train on helicopter simulators and join bush patrols in the North . Harry is in the last few weeks of his service before leaving the Army in June . He and Prince Charles will travel to Turkey later this month for the Anzac Day dawn service at Gallipoli , where Commonwealth forces including a joint Australian and New Zealand army suffered heavy casualties during the First World War . There was a potentially awkward moment as Dr Brendan Nelson , director of the Australian War Memorial , asked if Harry had seen the film ‘ Gallipoli ’ . The 1981 movie , starring Mel Gibson , was criticised by some historians for depicting the British as ordering waves of Australian soldiers to their deaths . Harry said he had not seen the film and was told : ‘ It ’ s worth watching. ’ One woman grabbed Harry 's face and leaned in for a kiss on the cheek , with the Prince happily obliging . Prince Harry put a smile on the faces of young and the old as the enthusiastic Aussies waited to greet him in the pouring Canberra rain . Prince Harry signs the visitors ' book at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra .
Prince Harry arrived in Canberra and visited the Australian War Memorial in his only official public appearance . The prince was greeted by a crowd of well-wishers who lined up to greet him at Parliament House before he made an unscheduled visit to the memorial on Wednesday.