Over the weekend, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed an upcoming trip to Australia, scheduled for “mid-April.” My theory was that they probably had to confirm their plans this far in advance because word was already leaking out that Meghan will make some public appearances. I also theorized that Harry and Meghan wanted to push back on any and all speculation about King Charles and Camilla’s upcoming state visit to the US – as in, the Sussexes are not interested in being tabloid pawns for endless “Charles is snubbing Harry during the state visit” stories. One thing I do not doubt is that the Sussexes’ Oz trip will be well-received IN Australia. I also think that it will shine a spotlight on Prince William and Kate’s laziness. Which is the real complaint, hiding behind this Daily Mail story about “the Sussexes might not get a warm reception in Australia!” Please.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry may be in for a mixed reception when they fly to Australia next month – their first visit since they married almost eight years ago. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s last tour of Australia – just after their 2018 wedding – was a big success with huge crowds turning out to greet them. But now they have been warned to have ‘thick skins’ when they go Down Under in mid-April because they are ‘no longer assured of a warm welcome’.
Experts have predicted that their visit will become a ‘lightning rod’ for Australia’s republicans and ignite further debate about whether King Charles III should be head of state. And royalists upset about the Sussexes’ years of potshots at Harry’s family may also turn out to greet them, meaning the warm welcome they enjoyed in 2018 may have evaporated.
‘I think there will be plenty of monarchists and republicans who won’t welcome Harry and Meghan’s visit. Any “royal” visit, even by members of the family who no longer represent the King, will inevitably create debate about the monarchy,’ an insider said today. ‘Harry and Meghan’s visit will inevitably prompt questions about why there haven’t been more frequent visits there by other members of the family. It will throw the spotlight on the Prince and Princess of Wales in particular.’
Journalist Tom Sykes wrote on his The Royalist substack of the upcoming Australia trip: ‘The Sussexes are likely to be lightning rods in Australia’s ongoing debate about the royal family and the country’s constitutional future. For now, one thing seems certain: Harry and Meghan will need thick skins when they arrive in a country where they are no longer assured of a warm welcome.’
‘Back in September, the Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese had tea with the King at Balmoral and publicly invited the Prince and Princess of Wales to tour the country,’ the Mail’s royal insider added. ‘There have been rumours of a visit in July or August but it’s not looking likely at the moment. Either way, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are going to get there first.’
It’s true that PM Albanese made a point of “inviting” William and Kate last year. But nothing was announced and nothing has been planned. William and Kate tend to hype their rare work trips for months in advance, and there’s been nothing about a trip to Australia this year. In fact, when William went to Saudi Arabia last month, his office condescendingly told the press that William only allows the government to request him for one trip a year, making the Saudi trip the government’s “one big ask.” Now, I’m sure a lot of people have wanted William and Kate to go to Australia and other Commonwealth realms for years. But they refuse to do so, especially after their catastrophic Caribbean Flop Tour in 2022.
As for Harry and Meghan… I love the British media’s concept of Australia as some kind of monarchist haven, populated with devout royalists who will boo Harry and Meghan for daring to live independently in California. The whole reason why Harry and Meghan’s 2018 tour was such a success was because Australians were thrilled that they weren’t stuffy, rigid royal-bots. Australians are like Americans in that they accept that “being royal” is just another version of “being a celebrity.” Meaning, Harry and Meghan will be treated as celebrities in Oz. That’s what I believe.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
