Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are visiting Australia in mid-April for private, business, and philanthropic engagements, marking the couple's first visit to Australia since 2018. The trip is privately funded, according to multiple reports, but has nonetheless sparked significant public debate. A Change.org petition against public funding for the visit has over 10,000 signatures, launched by the group Beyond Australia, according to major media sources. Harry and Meghan will not conduct traditional 'walkabouts' during their Australia visit due to security costs, multiple reports indicate, a decision that comes after the couple lost UK security protection after stepping down from royal duties in 2020.
Meghan Markle is keen to expand her brand As Ever in Australia, according to multiple reports, with the visit serving as a test to gauge consumer appetite and potential global expansion, according to brand expert Nick Ede and commentator Rob Shuter. She is promoting a luxury wellness retreat in Australia called 'Her Best Life Retreat' or 'Meg-stock'. Meghan and Netflix have parted ways in their partnership regarding As Ever, a split that followed reported unhappiness from Netflix with As Ever's performance and lack of consumer interest, according to a source to the Daily Mail. The exact reasons behind Netflix's split from As Ever beyond this reported unhappiness remain unknown.
Meghan will headline the Her Best Life retreat in Sydney, featuring a live conversation with Gemma O'Neill, according to research sources. Tickets for the Her Best Life retreat cost up to A$3,199 (around $2,285), according to research, and Meghan will be paid a lucrative sum, reportedly $1 million, for attending, according to Rob Shuter's Naughty But Nice Substack. The retreat has faced setbacks including an incomplete pool and sewage debris, multiple reports indicate. A contradiction exists regarding its commercial success: the Her Best Life retreat is marketed as sold out, but tickets were still available, according to journalist Paula Froelich, suggesting uncertainty about demand that could impact perceptions of Meghan's brand appeal in Australia.
Web traffic data shows 9% of As Ever's online footfall in February 2025 came from Australia, according to SimilarWeb data, indicating existing interest. Meghan has secured 12 trademarks for As Ever in Australia, approved in June 2024, according to the Australian Government IP department. She announced the relaunch of As Ever from American Riviera Orchard in February 2025, according to research. However, a Sussex representative claimed the trademark filings were made without their knowledge and pre-dated their work, according to a representative for the Sussexes, adding a layer of complexity to the brand's Australian rollout.
Prince Harry will headline the InterEdge Psychosocial Safety Summit in Melbourne on April 15-16, 2025, according to research. His scheduled keynote speech in Australia is struggling to sell tickets, according to multiple reports, highlighting potential challenges in his professional engagements during the visit.
Family dynamics add tension to the visit. Prince Harry hopes for an invitation from King Charles to Sandringham for family time this summer, according to multiple reports, but Harry has only seen his father twice in two years, according to those same sources. King Charles is dealing with fallout from Prince Andrew's arrest, according to multiple reports. Prince William is unhappy about the visit and views it as fraudulent, according to a source at the National Examiner, reflecting ongoing royal tensions.
The upcoming visit contrasts with their previous 2018 tour, which included police escorts and large crowds, unlike the upcoming visit, according to multiple reports. The couple visited Jordan in February for a two-day trip, according to multiple reports, invited by the World Health Organisation to support humanitarian efforts, according to those sources.
Personal aspects include that the couple's children, Archie and Lilibet, are not expected to join them on the trip, according to multiple reports. Meghan Markle previously complained about 'not getting paid' for walkabouts during the 2018 tour, according to Valentine Low, a point that resurfaces given the current avoidance of walkabouts.
Netflix was unhappy with As Ever's performance and lack of consumer interest, according to a source to the Daily Mail, leading to the partnership's end. This fallout adds to the challenges for Meghan's brand as it seeks to establish itself in Australia.
The specific security arrangements and costs for the visit, as well as the full list of business and philanthropic engagements, remain unknown, leaving aspects of the trip's execution unclear. The current status of the petition against public funding, such as whether it has influenced government decisions, remains unknown, along with the exact amount of public funding, if any, being used for the trip.
The visit thus presents significant public reception challenges, testing Meghan's As Ever brand in a market where she has secured trademarks but faces commercial uncertainties. The interplay of funding controversies, brand ambitions, and royal estrangements makes this trip a pivotal moment for the couple's post-royal endeavors.