Over the weekend, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed an upcoming trip to Australia. They will travel to Oz in mid-April, and they’re not bringing Archie and Lilibet. I figured that the visit probably wasn’t going to be some loosey-goosey “we’re just here to hang out” thing. Especially since they confirmed their plans so far in advance, there was a sense that they would be working and making paid appearances or giving paid speeches. Well, all of the above. Meghan is getting paid to appear at a “Girl’s Weekend” event in Sydney, hosted by the Her Best Life podcast.
Meghan Markle will join a “Girl’s Weekend” retreat hosted with the Her Best Life podcast during her upcoming visit to Australia with her husband, Prince Harry.
The event, which will be held from April 17 to April 19 at the InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach, will include “meaningful speakers” and “a gala dinner featuring in-person conversation with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex,” described as “An intimate gala like no other” in the press release.
Her Best Life, co-hosts Jackie Henderson and Gemma O’Neill outlined Meghan’s role for the upcoming podcast retreat in their Tuesday, March 10 episode. O’Neill explained that she and the Duchess of Sussex, 44, share mutual friend Markus Anderson, who is a consultant for Soho House. Anderson texted O’Neill in late 2025 from Meghan’s home, asking if she would ever like to collaborate with Meghan if she ever came to visit Australia, O’Neill said.
“Markus messaged me because he was at Meghan’s house,” O’Neill explained of how the collaboration came to be. “Markus is also very close friends to Meghan and has been for many years as well, long before she was married and they have a beautiful friendship too and I guess that’s probably one of the things that I’ve always felt about Meghan, whenever I’ve read stories, is I’ve always felt protective that my friend’s Markus is the bee’s knees, he’s a top notch human. The first person to be there, check on you. I knew that Markus wouldn’t be so close or best friends with someone who wasn’t also the same.”
O’Neill added, “He’s always said we would get along really well and always wanted us to connect,” before adding that she was contacted by “someone on Meghan’s team,” who said that Meghan would be happy to connect.
“I am, like, beside myself about, because I have admired this woman, and what she has endured, how she’s risen above it, and how she has demonstrated, how a woman can be pushed down and she can still rise, and that person is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex,” O’Neill said of Meghan’s journey in the public eye. O’Neill continued, “And I can’t believe I’m even saying those words. There’s no one more shocked than me, because I know what you’re all thinking, ’cause I’m thinking the same thing, which is ‘how has Meghan Duchess of Sussex, this incredible woman, gone from Oprah to talking on stage with just little odd me, Gemma in Sydney?’”
O’Neill said of Meghan’s participation in the upcoming event, “She’s doing this because she really loves what our community is about which is women trying to grow, trying to be their best selfs and trying to help other women.”
Tickets to the “Girl’s Weekend” retreat come in two packages. The “limited” Early Bird tickets go for $2,699, while the VIP Experience for $3,199 per person includes seating at a table in front two rows for the gala dinner with Meghan, a group table photo with Meghan, an exclusive VIP goodie bag, premium ocean view hotel room (twin share), and all weekend inclusions. The event is limited to 300 people and all tickets include a full weekend experience, according to the podcast.
The Daily Mail claims that the event will probably sell $1 million from tickets and Meghan is likely getting a six-figure appearance fee, which sounds about right. My guess? Meghan and Harry have several reasons for this trip, and it’s not just this “Girl’s Weekend,” because financially, that doesn’t make much sense. Speaking of, Harry has been announced as the keynote speaker for the InterEdge Summit in Melbourne – the summit runs from April 15-16. So… they’re going to both Melbourne and Sydney, and I would imagine that they have other events/appearances up their sleeves too. The usual suspects are already crying about “how dare they make paid appearances!” Yeah, and? They’ve left money on the table for years – they’re both really selective about where and when they make speeches and appearances. Meghan especially could have been collecting six-figure appearance fees for fashion shows, random store/casino openings, etc for years.
Lifeline Narrm is “proud” to announce that Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex will be a Keynote Speaker at the InterEdge Summit 2026 on workplace mental health, from 15-16 April 2026 in Melbourne, Australia
Details here
https://t.co/hkLvQSP3if#PrinceHarry pic.twitter.com/GdOTPYvezL
— ChrisBaronSmith (@ChrisBaronSmit1) March 11, 2026
Gemma O’Neill on Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
“I have admired this woman and what she has endured, how she has risen above it and how she has demonstrated how a woman can be pushed down and she can still rise” #MeghanSussex pic.twitter.com/GsXPrLitE9
— ChrisBaronSmith (@ChrisBaronSmit1) March 10, 2026
Photos courtesy of Her Best Life’s Instagram, Backgrid.
