Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are scheduled to visit Australia in mid-April for private, business, and philanthropic engagements. Their children, Archie and Lilibet, are not expected to join them on the Australia trip, according to multiple reports. The trip is being privately funded, according to multiple reports, and marks their first return since their last visit to Australia was in 2018.
Public opposition to the visit has emerged, with a petition with over 32,000 signatures opposing taxpayer funding for the trip, according to multiple reports. The petition was launched by the group Beyond Australia, according to multiple reports. A separate Change.org petition with over 10,000 signatures opposes Australian taxpayers covering security or logistics for the visit, according to research. Harry and Meghan will not conduct traditional royal walkabouts in Australia due to security costs, according to multiple reports.
Meghan Markle is promoting a luxury wellness retreat in Australia called 'Her Best Life Retreat' or 'Meg-stock', according to multiple reports. Meghan will headline the Her Best Life retreat in Sydney, featuring a live conversation with Gemma O'Neill, according to research. Tickets for the Her Best Life retreat cost up to A$3,199 (around $2,285), according to research. Meghan is being paid a very lucrative sum, reportedly $1 million, to attend the Her Best Life retreat, according to Rob Shuter's Naughty But Nice Substack.
The retreat has faced setbacks including an incomplete pool and malfunctioning spa, according to multiple reports. There are reports that the Her Best Life retreat may not be a sell-out success, with tickets still available despite being listed as sold out, according to Paula Froelich in The Scoop.
Prince Harry will headline the InterEdge Psychosocial Safety Summit in Melbourne on April 15-16, according to research. Harry's scheduled keynote speech in Australia is struggling to sell tickets, according to multiple reports.
Meghan Markle is keen to expand her brand As Ever in Australia, according to multiple reports. The visit is a test to see if Australia could be a viable market for Meghan's As Ever brand, according to brand expert Nick Ede and commentator Rob Shuter. As Ever has secured 12 trademarks in Australia, approved in June 2024, covering products like skincare and dog treats, according to research. Web traffic data shows 9% of As Ever's online footfall in February came from Australia, according to SimilarWeb data.
A Sussex representative claimed the Australian trademark filings were made without their knowledge and pre-dated their work on the brand, according to a representative for the Sussexes.
The trip is poorly timed due to negative sentiment toward the royal family, partly over Prince Andrew.
Historical context sheds light on past tensions; the 2018 tour was their first joint tour as a married couple and included Australia, Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand, according to multiple reports. Meghan Markle previously complained about not getting paid for walkabouts during the 2018 tour, according to the book 'Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown'.
Recent royal family dynamics remain strained; Harry last saw King Charles in September 2023 for under an hour, according to multiple reports. Harry and Prince William are still estranged, according to multiple reports. Prince William is unhappy about the trip and views it as fraudulent for Harry and Meghan to be treated like visiting royalty, according to a source at the National Examiner.
Other recent international engagements include Harry and Meghan visiting Jordan in February for a two-day trip focused on humanitarian efforts, according to multiple reports.
Australian political context adds complexity; Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has backed plans to remove Prince Andrew from the line of succession, according to Chris Riches.
Netflix was unhappy with As Ever because it lacked consumer appetite compared to shows like Squid Game, according to a source to the Daily Mail.
Several unknowns surround the trip; the exact amount Meghan is being paid for the Her Best Life retreat remains unconfirmed, with reports of a lucrative sum but no official disclosure. Whether Australian taxpayers will fund any security or logistics for the trip is also unclear, despite petitions opposing it. The specific business and philanthropic engagements Harry and Meghan will undertake during their visit have not been detailed publicly.
Further unknowns include the current status of Harry and Meghan's relationship with the British royal family, beyond expert speculation and past meetings. The true level of public support or opposition in Australia to Harry and Meghan's visit is also uncertain, given mixed expert predictions and petition data.