There’s been some confusion about why the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s upcoming visit to Australia has led to weeks of chaotic palace scrambling, media tantrums and royalist hissy fits. While all of that happens whenever Prince Harry and Meghan go ANYWHERE and do anything, I think this Oz trip has upset people so much because Australia is a British realm. Harry’s father is literally the King of Australia. Harry’s brother will one day be the King of Australia. Speaking of Harry’s bald-demon brother, I’m absolutely positive that Prince William is going to have another nervous breakdown over the Sussexes’ trip, and the Kensington Palace briefings will be coming fast and furious. Page Six is giving us a preview of coming attractions:
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could face chaos in Australia next week — as they prepare to use their royal branding in a country that still counts King Charles as its monarch, Page Six is told.
“I’m sure [Buckingham Palace] would prefer that Harry and Meghan weren’t going, but there’s not a lot they can do about it. They have no control,” royal writer Robert Jobson, author of “The Windsor Legacy,” told Page Six. “There will undoubtedly be a sense of confusion about what Harry and Meghan are there for … this trip may stick in the gullet of the palace.”
“They yearn for the catnip of attention,” one palace source told us of the couple.
“It does get confusing,” writer Robert Hardman, author of “Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story,” admitted. “If they are traveling as celebrities — which is what they are — that’s fine, but if there is any royal or official apparatus then that’s going to invite criticism.”
The Sussexes, who will pay for their own travel and security, are not expected to meet any government officials unless, sources say, their host organizations invite them. But wading into a country which has plenty of anti-monarchy campaigners is fraught.
“Things are all the more awkward because not that long ago, Australia was debating become a republic,” Jobson said.
“They yearn for the catnip of attention” is so f–king funny, man. Especially coming from the offices of the left-behinds, who have been getting booed, heckled and protested wherever they go for years now, when they’re not facing empty barricades and a solitary tumbleweed rolling by. This is also an important admission: “There’s not a lot they can do about it. They have no control…” They thought they were so clever, rejecting the half-in solution! Oh well. Meanwhile, the British press got their hands on some kind of operational memo written by a Sussex staffer. I have questions about how they got this, but whatever, it doesn’t actually reveal that much:
Under-wraps details about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s impending trip to Australia can be revealed for the first time, via a leaked document seen by the Mail.
‘Operational Planning Notes’ shared with select media and written by the couple’s new PR boss Liam Maguire include an itinerary that features stops in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. The document also emphasises that the Australian taxpayer will not be footing the bill for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s trip.
Despite Harry and Meghan no longer representing His Majesty the King after they stepped back from the British Royal Family and moved to California in 2020, their trip Down Under appears to resemble a royal tour in many ways.
They will make joint appearances focusing on veterans and mental health, including a visit to a children’s hospital and an Invictus Australia event on Sydney Harbour. Meghan will also undertake a solo visit to a women’s homelessness shelter, while Harry will attend an AFL club in Melbourne and a rugby union match in Sydney. Harry is also expected to make a brief visit to Canberra without his wife.
The Mail is not disclosing specific details of dates and times outlined in the operational notes for security reasons. Notably, the official four-day itinerary, starting next Tuesday, does not include Meghan’s appearance at the ‘Her Best Life’ retreat at the InterContinental Hotel in Sydney’s Coogee Beach, which runs from April 17-19.
According to a source, this indicates that the Sussexes are keeping ‘pseudo royal’ engagements separate from Meghan’s latest commercial foray into the lifestyle world.
“Their trip Down Under appears to resemble a royal tour in many ways…” I am genuinely begging these people to touch grass. Anyway, it sounds like H&M will be quite busy and I hope we get lots of photos. William and Kate are going to lose their minds next week, btw. I also think we’re probably going to get some big anti-Sussex story in this weekend’s Sunday papers. Maybe they’ll go back to that old chestnut, the fakakta bullying allegations. “Meghan made white women cry just by looking at them!!”
2022 photos courtesy of Instar.
-
- North America Rights Only – The Hague, The Netherlands -20220417- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attending the Invictus Games athletics events in the Athletics Park, at Zuiderpark the Hague, Netherlands. -PICTURED: Meghan Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry -PHOTO by: INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
-
- USA Rights Only, The Hague, Netherlands – 20220417- Meghan Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry attend the athletics section of the fifth edition of the Invictus Games, an international sporting event for military and veterans who have been psychologically or physically injured during their military service. -PICTURED: Meghan Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry -PHOTO by: DDP/INSTARimages.com -ddpimages_17048204 This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded
-
- USA Rights Only, The Hague, Netherlands – 20220416- The openings ceremony of the 2020 Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans, at the Zuiderpark in The Hague. -PICTURED: Prince Harry, Meghan Duchess of Sussex -PHOTO by: PPE/Nieboer/DDP/INSTARimages.com -INSTAR_3kZt8rtPJ This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded
-
- North America Rights Only – The Hague, Netherlands -20220419- Prince Harry plays table tennis at the Dusseldorf 2022 stand during the Invictus Games at Zuiderpark -PICTURED: Prince Harry -PHOTO by: Aaron Chown/PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
-
- USA Rights Only, The Hague, Netherlands – 20220420- Prince Harry helps the Netherlands team paint a bench in the Zuiderpark during the Invictus Games at the Zuiderpark -PICTURED: Prince Harry -PHOTO by: DDP/INSTARimages.com -ddpimages_17059301 This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded
-
- NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE – The Hague, The Netherlands -20220422-King Willem-Alexander and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex watch the finals of wheelchair basketball during the Invictus Games -PICTURED: Prince Harry -PHOTO by: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images/INSTARimages.com -51441060.jpg This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded
-
- Netherlands and France Out – The Hague, Netherlands -20220421- Prince Harry watches the Powerlifting contest during the 5th Invictus Games at Zuiderpark -PICTURED: Prince Harry -PHOTO by: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images/INSTARimages.com -51438033.jpg This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded
-
- USA Rights Only, The Hague, Netherlands – 20220417- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attending the Invictus Games athletics events in the Athletics Park, at Zuiderpark the Hague, Netherlands. -PICTURED: Prince Harry, Meghan Duchess of Sussex -PHOTO by: DDP/INSTARimages.com -ddp_17043892 This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded
-
- USA Rights Only, The Hague, Netherlands – 20220416- The openings ceremony of the 2020 Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans, at the Zuiderpark in The Hague. -PICTURED: Meghan Duchess of Sussex -PHOTO by: PPE/Nieboer/DDP/INSTARimages.com -INSTAR_Dij2XmkjN This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded
There was a comment yesterday on the story about Meghan’s jam empire (I can’t wait to try it when it comes to the U.K.) in which one person observed, the royals, and Charles, especially, want attention more than anything else. That the best thing Diana could have done, would have been to ignore Charles’ affair with Camilla, because he was only doing it to get attention — whether from Camilla, his agony aunt, his enabler, or from Diana herself. People who need attention — narcissists — do not understand motives that are not superficial. They get attention because people want to see them. End of.
Camilla was actually redecorating Highgrove where Diana lived and before the separation. And Camilla played hostess with Charles permission. Diana could smell the cigarettes (of Camilla) on the draperies when she returned to Highgrove. The affair was hard to ignore. Charles treated Diana badly and put downs of her were witnessed. Royal mistresses traditionally did not go into the wife’s domain nor trashed the wife. Camilla did, with Charles permission. Edward VII’s mistresses did not trash the wife, Edward VII did not allow it. From what I read. Charles also had other mistresses like Janet Jenkins and Dale Tryon. Charles felt entitled to mistresses.
Dale “Kanga” Tyron was a mistress who did respect Charles’s marriage and actually became a friend of Diana’s. Of course she came to a horrific end. There’s a documentary about her floating around. So many stories people just ignore.
I mean, if she was sleeping with Charles she didn’t respect the marriage.
but I do think Charles needs attention desperately – something he never really got from his parents when he was younger – and I do think that’s why Camilla was so….umm…special…to him. She gave him that attention. She knows how to play him and always has.
Yep, Camilla has always clocked that and behaved accordingly. He has always had a need for attention. That’s why Diana was such an issue.
Wow so unhinged!! Rife with jealousy that the Sussexes are popular and the left behinds are lazy, dull and so boring!
None of this resembles a royal tour in the biggest way, in that their preparation and clothing and hair and makeup and luggage and flights aren’t being paid for by various governments.
Exactly.. these are business trips and have nothing to do with the leftovers or Royal tours but the leftovers seem to latch on to the Sussex’s trips because wank doesn’t do anymore Royal tours since the Caribbean one just put their racism on display for worldwide audiences..and the others are just boring and not worth the cost of covering so the rota just grab the Sussex’s coattails and hold on tight.
The Sussexes have continuously had far more attention that they could ever want. If Meghan is spotted exiting a grocery store in Montecito, California, USA, that picture will wipe any royal off the front page, including William, Charles, and Kate. The press can’t keep the Sussexes out of their mouth. Even when not related to the topic at all, they pay the “Sussex Tax” so people will pay attention.
I don’t believe this is real. Especially the part about the Fail not leaking specifics for “security reasons”. When have they ever cared about the Sussexes security? They are just taking some guesses in the dark imo.
I agree, smells fishy.
This is hilarious. Bashing the Sussexes has become so old and predictable at this point, that’s it’s become a meme. It’s not going to change the Prince Andrew situation, Kate and William’s laziness and the irrelevant royals like the Tindalls and Wessexes. The palace don’t have a leg to stand on and the courtiers have helped speed up the downfall of this monarchy.
We haven’t seen anything from Terrible Tom, the world’s worst father, in a while. I think I’m going to put ‘has a heart attack but Meghan won’t call’ on my weekend bingo card.
I’m going for cancer “scare” myself, timed for the Australian trip. Meghan won’t see me and I might have cancer…Just like the king! We’re twinsies!
We have though. He’s “found love” with his nurse, remember? Written by Caroline Graham herself.
Since the bingo card is out, I’ll play. I think the distraction story may be a photo release of the WanKs “doin’ something vague” with their kids. Then, after they get to wallow in the story for a few hours, an internet sleuth with sharp eyes will notice that there was another similar photo leaked last year when they were commemorating British Possum Day, or something. Then, more people will note that every family member in the photo is wearing the same traditional Possum Day colors, and they will come to the consensus that they took several photos and saved some to release in competition with the Sussexes when needed.
They are just living their lives and existing, that’s not begging for attention. They leave the house. Do stuff for philanthropy. Go to work. Go on vacation with their kids and friends. It’s wild to me that these people are acting all aghast, like well you left Royal life so that meant that you were going to entomb yourself for the next 60 years.
It’s almost comical at this point. Like, y’all for real thought you would just never see them again?
Also, the only way that this resembles a royal tour is that a Prince and Duchess are the ones doing it. Otherwise it looks like any other philanthropic / business trip that a CEO or head of a foundation would do. They just wouldn’t be getting harassed by the media for a month beforehand.
The control part is the key issue though and it always has been, and it always will be. They really thought that they would be able to ” exile” them, AND still control how they earned money, who they spoke to, any legal decisions, what they shared about their personal lives, and where they traveled to.
They could only wish it was a royal tour. I think what sticks in the gullet of the palace is this is what William and Kate should be doing and are refusing to do.
Didn’t Australia’s PM Anthony Albanese officially invite Willy and Kate last year? To make a trip this year?
No he didn’t. The British media keep claiming that William and Kate are “set to visit Australia” but it’s been more like wishcasting. The last time William and Kate attempted to invite themselves to Australia they were told to stay away.
“But if there’s any royal or official apparatus” ….. my dude, you just said it was a private visit! These people are snarking just to snark, omg. It’s not a royal official visit and everyone gets that. There’s no “but if” come on now. Who rally wants that catnip? Might it be the people creating drama just to create drama…
i did see a clip this morning from Australian TV that labeled it a “royal tour” and I laughed. But, I have to admit, i didn’t have the sound on (at work) so maybe it was from 2018.
Celebrities make these kinds of trips all the time. They even meet government officials. No one thinks that they are acting on behalf of a government. And again, if the Firm wanted control over these trips -well H&M offered them that option and they rejected it.
The line about “catnip of attention” is hilarious though. I think H&M both wish they got a little less attention. I think Meghan would like to shop for toys or go to the farmers market without it being international news.
Now we should all pause a moment to feel a little sorry for W&K. They’re on another extended break with their kids – are they going to cut into that break to work?? Are they going to “re-leak” a years old story about Meghan bullying someone, Meghan screaming at QEII, etc? Are they going to release an early bday pic of Louis?
What to do what to do. They’re in a real pickle here.
“Palace source,” lol. That means William, right? What a horse’s a$$.
Brace yourselves for some more service-sector cosplay from Willy and Kate next week. Poor dears will have to interrupt their 3rd/4th vacation of the year.
Palace source: They are not royals, they are celebrities.
Also palace source: They will face backlash from anti monarchist republicans.
My dude you just said they are not royals. At one point those palace sources have to accept that Sussexes are actually the kind of royals preferred by anti monarchists everywhere.
WTF is a royal tour or royal official apparatus???? This is so insulting!! Please tell me what makes it royal.
Is Angelina royal for visiting refugee camps
Is Michael J Fox royal for being King patron of Parkinson’s
What of Dolly Parton’s library providing free books to kids (oh wait that’s not royal it involves using money)
Is Gary Sinese and his work with veterans royal
Please tell me what makes it royal because all I see is a royal tour is useless, if not entertaining and the Sussexes seem to be taking on specific causes with some tangible results. I just can’t with these people.
What an interesting “leak” that “secretly” confirms H&M are not burdening the taxpayer and lists their visits to worthy charities. If this had come directly from the Sussex PR team, the tabloids would sneer – but since they got it “under cover” it’s a triumphant scoop for them. Somebody is very clever.
They didn’t get it under cover. They got it from Twitter, and Australian media. And they don’t care about H+M’s security. They aren’t listing “times and dates” because those have NOT been released. They are just trying to pretend that they are in the know. 😀
It’s always a fun exercise to imagine how these things would go if Kate and William were the ones making the trip.
It would be a cluster, an extravaganza of awkwardness and miscues.
The ONLY people sniffing around for the catnip of attention are the criminal, sad sack, lazy left behinds, and their courtiers and media mouthpieces.
H&M are booked, busy, unbothered, moisturized, radiant, and absolutely dgaf about anyone back on the Isle of 🧂.
Hey palace and press wanks: have you heard of Streisand Effect? You know that every time you cry, scream, and throw up about anything the Sussexes do, you platform them and make them MORE popular, not less?
And that everything you write about the left behind royals makes Chaz, Cam, Will & Kate LESS popular, not more?
Do you realize that your decade long attack campaign on Harry and Meghan is EXACTLY WHY your favorite royals are getting booed in the streets and having eggs thrown at them? Chaz and his heir are hated and you helped build that with every nasty, gloating story. Pat yourselves on the back Rota, Courtiers – you nasty grammed yourselves out of your future job security. Bully for you.
If I recall correctly, Harry agreed to share his schedule with Charles.
I assume Harry’s office shared this with Charles/Buckingham Palace.
I don’t know if Charles and/or Harry agreed to the leak, but there it is
That was always such an odd claim. The Sussexes never put it out there nor did they acknowledge it. If it doesn’t come from them…
It just made Charles look all in charge and boss man. It seems bizarre that Harry would give up one of his super powers – stealth – when his and his family’s location being leaked has put them in active danger, multiple times.
I love the last line of Kaiser’s analysis: “Meghan made white women cry just by looking at them!!”
Followed immediately by a photo of Harry (I have decided) pointing out a white woman and Meghan preparing to blow her crying-magic at her. LOL, I’m sure that’s how it works.
If it’s true that Harry shares his schedule with BP then that’s how DM got the itinerary.
I wish the palace sources would stop “sniffing” and “snubbing.” They are commoners (and inept ones) sniping at a royal prince of the blood.
It is simple, the only Commonwealth Countries the RF cares about are Australia, Canada and New Zealand. As Bower likes to say, “Charles only likes visiting the white Commonwealth countries.” Outside of the Commonwealth, the US is the only other place they like to visit. Visiting other countries is a mere adventure and an opportunity to wear funny hats.
Did you see Harry’s last visit to Canada when he had the audience in fits of laughter about “hat-gate”? They are also doing very well in the USA everywhere they go. So Australia, and by extension NZL, is the last bastion of hope not to be Sussexified.
They don’t want them to go to Australia for the same reason they don’t want them to go to the UK.