It’s looking like the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s upcoming visit to Australia will be mostly focused on a blend of commercial interests (paid appearances in Sydney and Melbourne) and charitable/philanthropic interests. This is not a “royal tour” and the Sussexes don’t give a crap about their “approval ratings” in whatever emotional-support poll. Well, even though this is not a royal tour, it’s difficult to escape the fact that Harry and Meghan have been to Australia more recently than the future king of Australia, Prince William. William and his wife haven’t stepped foot in Australia since 2014. King Charles has only been to Australia once as king, and before 2024, it had been years since he visited. THAT is why there’s such a tizzy over the Sussexes’ visit. Please allow the Mail’s Amanda Platell to spell it out:
Harry and Meghan have announced they will be embarking on a pseudo-royal tour of Australia in mid-April. But do the Sussexes realise that they might be heading for a blunder Down Under? Their last trip to Oz was in 2018, when the newly married Sussexes – who had announced they were pregnant with their first child the day before touching down – were welcomed by cheering monarchists waving Union Jack flags and throwing kangaroo paws flowers and roses in their path. But if they think this trip will be anything like those heady days, they are in for a rude awakening.
Even before they arrive, questions are already being asked about why non-royals Meghan and Harry are visiting their country, when the last time they saw King Charles and Queen Camilla was two years ago, and Prince William and Princess Catherine not since 2014. So much for the special relationship with their Head – and future Head – of State.
Indeed, constitutional experts in Oz predict Harry and Meghan’s visit will provide ‘a lightning rod’ for Australia’s republicans, igniting further debate about whether King Charles should remain their head of state – or, shockingly, whether they need one at all.
Inevitable questions are being asked about why there haven’t been more frequent visits by senior members of the Royal Family. With the King’s ill health and Kate’s recovery from cancer, the spotlight has been thrown on to Prince William. Some are rudely asking online: ‘Does William even want to be our next Head of State or not?’
Others question, quite understandably, what relevance either Charles or William has to a modern Australia when they live half a world away.
It was surely not the Sussexes’ intention to cause discomfort for Charles or William. Harry is there to further his involvement with the Armed Forces and veteran communities for his admirable Invictus Games initiatives. There are reports that Meghan is due to appear as a guest on the Her Best Life podcast, launched and co-hosted by Aussie radio star Jackie O Henderson. Perhaps she’s looking to promote her As Ever lifestyle brand now her Netflix deal is over?
But I fear what the Sussexes don’t realise is that the Australia they visited in 2018 is no longer a photo-op destination for royals – or indeed non-royals – to further their interests and causes or monetise themselves. And if they’re expecting locals to be gushingly grateful, they’ve got another thing coming.
Platell went on to claim that Harry and Meghan’s approval ratings in Australia have plummeted, while also acknowledging that the galloping success of Sussexes’ 2018 South Pacific Tour led to much screaming and crying in William and Kate’s camp. If this serves as a reminder that William and Kate were terrified of being eclipsed by the popular and charismatic Sussexes, good. That really was the start of the Windsors’ racist campaign to bully Meghan out of the country. Anyway, the point of Platell’s piece is extremely funny – “It was surely not the Sussexes’ intention to cause discomfort for Charles or William.” I dare say that the Sussexes do not give a sh-t about the “discomfort.” And “Harry & Meghan should be worried about visiting Australia because Charles and William are unpopular there” is not the argument the Mail thinks it is.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
