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 Any “royal” visit, even by members of the family who no longer represent the King, will inevitably create debate about the monarchy,’ an insider said today.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.
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- ** RIGHTS: ONLY UNITED STATES, CANADA ** Sydney, AUSTRALIA – Prince Harry and pregnant Meghan Markle step out in Sydney for Day One of the royal tour of Australia. Pictured: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 16 OCTOBER 2018 BYLINE MUST READ: MTRX / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- ** RIGHTS: ONLY UNITED STATES, CANADA ** Sydney, AUSTRALIA – Prince Harry and pregnant Meghan Markle step out in Sydney for Day One of the royal tour of Australia. Pictured: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 16 OCTOBER 2018 BYLINE MUST READ: MTRX / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- ** RIGHTS: ONLY UNITED STATES, CANADA ** Melbourne, AUSTRALIA – Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attends “This Girl Can” campaign at Government House on October 18, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are on their official 16-day Autumn tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. Pictured: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 17 OCTOBER 2018 BYLINE MUST READ: Vantagenews / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- ** RIGHTS: ONLY UNITED STATES, CANADA ** Tonga, FRENCH POYNESIA – A windswept Duchess of Sussex arrives with the Duke of Sussex in Tonga. The royal couple were met by Her Royal Highness, Princess Angelika Latufuipeka. Pictured: Duke of Sussex, Duchess of Sussex BACKGRID USA 25 OCTOBER 2018 BYLINE MUST READ: Vantagenews / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- ** RIGHTS: ONLY UNITED STATES, CANADA ** Sydney, AUSTRALIA – The Duke of Sussex and Duchess of Sussex watch the wheelchair basketball final, the last event at the Invictus Games 2018 in Sydney. Pictured: Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 26 OCTOBER 2018 BYLINE MUST READ: Vantagenews / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- ** RIGHTS: ONLY UNITED STATES ** Sydney, AUSTRALIA – The Royal tour of Australia comes to an end for HRH The Duke and Duchess of Sussex as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are pictured boarding their flight to New Zealand from Sydney. Pictured: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex BACKGRID USA 28 OCTOBER 2018 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- ** RIGHTS: ONLY UNITED STATES, CANADA ** Auckland, NEW ZEALAND – The Duke of Sussex and Duchess of Sussex attend a dedication of a 20-hectare site to The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy. After unveiling the plaque they participated in a welly wanging contest with some local school children. Pictured: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle BACKGRID USA 29 OCTOBER 2018 BYLINE MUST READ: Vantagenews / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 21: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex cradles her bump as she visits the Hubb Community Kitchen to see how funds raised by the ‘Together: Our Community’ Cookbook are making a difference at Al Manaar, North Kensington on November 21, 2018 in London, England.
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- LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 21: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex cradles her bump as she visits the Hubb Community Kitchen to see how funds raised by the ‘Together: Our Community’ Cookbook are making a difference at Al Manaar, North Kensington on November 21, 2018 in London, England.
The RF got widely booed loudly yesterday in London so there!
This! Bc who really needs that thick skin right now??? Let’s talk about the thick skin that Kate and William and Charles all needed yesterday. And that was in their home country.
Hear-hear!
I was shocked at the loud booing 😮 they even called WILLIAM AND KATE PARASITES 🦠 Everything the Windsors wished on the Montecito Royals is happening to them 😎
In the meantime scooter and Charles are booed about how long they knew aboit Andrew
If anything brings out cries for a republic it is the Andrew situation
I wonder if any of the royal stenographer media will reflect on the fact that the Sussex’s last Australian tour is the thing that turned the tide, they were too popular and the left behinds felt threatened.
And then the unrelenting media attacks on a pregnant woman.
Probably not, unless rage boy really makes them mad in the meantime.
Given that they don’t have police security anymore I doubt they will be doing walk abouts or big events with members of the public. If they do events it will be smaller with controlled guest list like their trips to Nigeria, Colombia or even New York. This will not be like the 2018 trip with huge crowds because I doubt the Sussexes will give much advance notice of their location for security reasons. Anti monarchists don’t care about people who are no longer taxpayer funded working royals and Australian royalists are unlikely to take time off work in large numbers to boo people who have no impact on their lives. This is just Sykes wish casting, he should be more worried about the British royals who were called parasites by the uk crowds yesterday. Harry and Meghan will be fine, but fans might want to ignore the Australian media which is dominated by Murdoch owned outlets.
Tom and his sidekick Paula are trying to make fetch happen. They will say anything in prayer like mantra seeking the public downfall of Harry and Meghan only to be greeted by what Harry said….almost almost no no no they aren’t divorcing and they’re not failing and they haven’t run back to the firm. It’s exhausting but hilarious watching the backflips and all.
@Rynee I sooooo agre with you. I only ever see #psychotommy’s manic diatribes when I visit this site and it’s so hilarious to see how committed he is to tonguing Bully’s hole while begging the universe to bring about the downfall of H&M.
That simp will never get a dime from me with that begging bowl of a substack.
Sky News will loudly mock and attack them. The British rags will eat this up and point to it to prove their point that H&M are no longer popular in Australia. But everyone knows that’s just Sky News which is irrelevant.
I hope the Sussexes accomplish whatever goals they have set for themselves on this trip, arrive safely and return home safely. All the rest of the nonsense surrounding this trip is just noise, hope and dreams from the gutter rats.
So well said
To me the real story that I am fascinated by is Kate is not doing any tours anymore. Will she ever go abroad for work again. It seems to be part of the deal she worked out. Will William try to continue his refusal to work when he is king. Will the press continue to pretend everything is fine with those two. Harry and Meghan will be okay. I was wondering if Harry will surf when he’s there. All the questions they should be discussing in the media
The basic expectation from royal watchers who follow all the European royal families is that the monarch and consort do 2 outgoing state visits per year. If Kate can’t manage that it’s going to cause issues with their fans
Every time Harry & Meghan do an overseas trip the deranger media try to frame it as some second rate royal tour.
It’s a thinly disguised strategy to prevent Harry and Meghan from existing other than through their links to the royals, while simultaneously claiming they are “trading on their royal connections”. When it’s clear to anyone paying attention that Harry and Meghan are now their own thing, celebrity philanthropists who would continue to be just that whether or not they had royal connections and titles.
That’ s the reality the derangers are desperately trying to deny. Harry & Meghan won’t be going to Australia to bask in waving crowds as some sort of royal popularity competition arbitrated by the media, they’ll be there for their humanitarian work. And to see their friends, and have a vacation together.
Get that into your skulls, Daily Fail and others! It’s so tough to not be needed anymore…
Harry and especially Meghan are showing the left-behinds how to royal! Harry and Meghan are everything the royalists want willie and kitty to be. Cinderellas?
Perhaps the Wail is embarrassed that their heroes are not doing their job.
The issue isn’t Australians, it’s the right wing Australian media. Even the moderate media gets their royal talking points from the UK. The Australian media landscape has changed entirely in the last 25 years. Every news outlet gets rr talking points or BBC which is the same thing. People don’t see anything else unless they dig deep, and most don’t care enough or have time to. They don’t see celebitchy.
The reports will be awful, but let’s blame the true origin.
The British press are behaving like this visit is going to be a royal tour with walkabouts and public events. But they’re wrong. Their trips to Colombia, Nigeria and Jordan have been basically private and not open to the public. I’m sure the DM and Murdoch press will pay people to follow them around and to boo them.
Kiwi here. I would like to believe H and M would get a warm reception but Aus is anti-royalist generally speaking. That. Together with years of negative DM press toward this couple has had a cumulative effect unfortunately. It may not be as welcoming as their last visit…
Their visit to Australia is not going to be like the 2018 royal tour. They’re not going to be playing for the crowds.
Exactly! This is not a royal tour like the previous one. They are simply business people attending to their business. No crowds or public adulation required or expected. People who are interested in them will show up for whatever events, paid or not. I’m sure the trash tabloids will try to do their best to make it appear that they are not welcome, but it won’t work. This is the problem with them having to announce the trip ahead of time, it gives the trolls time to build up their nonsense diatribe.
They are on a private visit. They are not doing walk abouts or expecting big crowds. They will do private events where they have been invited. The hosts will welcome them like they would any invited guests. The Murdoch media might be negative but I doubt the public will be upset about a visit by private citizens who are funding it themselves. I doubt the public will even see them except a few segments on the news. In Nigeria and Colombia and Jordan we only saw them inside private events with selected guests. They will be fine!
I’ve been watching MasterChef AU on Tubi. I just watched the 20118 season (season 10). Prince Charles made an appearance. He was actually kind of charming… remember this was in the before era before we really knew what a racist poop father he is. What was funny was that a couple contestants were asked their favorite royal and the answers were Harry and Meghan. I think their reception is going to be just fine.
This seems like an own goal from William and Kate. It’s crazy that they won’t even do a few days visit in Australia. It’s bad optics for the monarchy that H&M are going there first. But then, bad optics is their brand now.
Well, this quote is probably pretty on the nose, right? “‘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.’”
Thats the real issue with these visits from the palace’s POV – they don’t like the attention and headlines of course, but the more H&M do these kinds of trips , the more people are going to ask “and where are William and Kate?” H&M were a problem as working royals because they shone a spotlight on how inept and lazy William and Kate were/are (among other reasons for sure but that was a big one.) And that’s still a problem for the palace.
A problem with an easy solution btw, but one the wales wont do (i.e. work more.)
All of this. The wales have not done a trip in a minute and health reasons can explain some of but not all of it. Meanwhile what have the Sussexes done?
Nigeria
Colombia
Jordan
Australia
Canada for IG
Talk about a highlighting a massive contrast.
Harry and Meghan visit countries to do something concrete. They aren’t expecting to be shown things and be entertained.
That condescending colonizer way of visiting is something Harry and Meghan changed.
William and Kate don’t have the wavelength to understand that. It’s all about revisiting the past and sweet nods to the days when white supremacy what acceptable as the status quo.
For two millenials to not understand in 2022 that reenacting a colonizer photo from decades before isn’t the stupidest idea ever tells you how backwards and out of touch William and Kate happen to be, despite being born in the 1980s. And then Kate made sure to bring in some Scarlett Ohara nonsense as if GWTW which is pro slavery is what a normal woman thinks you should reenact in the Caribbean, where plantations and slavery were run directly by the British.
Of more interest to royal watchers Fred and Mary of Denmark are doing a state visit to Australia this month. The PM seems very excited as does the media
Mary’s from Australia so the excitement makes sense. It’s a way to enjoy a royal visit without the reminder of the commonwealth.
They couldn’t get a single person on the record to say this stuff, some of which is quite obvious?
I didn’t even bother reading the excerpt Kaiser had extracted from the Daily Heil
It represents such a small, ageing, backward pov of people whose value systems have no place in the world today
It is carefully designed rage bait that brings out the very worst in people and allows (anonymous) people to say the most awful things
I prefer to stay in the light, confident in the knowledge that Harry, Meghan, Archie & Lili are a close knit, loving family. They love, they are loved — universally.
They are thriving and I don’t need to concern myself with negative, false, quite frankly, utter bullsh*t from trashy tabloids when there are other places I can read happy, supportive, loving, positive, good things about them from people all around the world
So far, we know that this trip is a private business and philanthropic visit. Meghan might do some sort of public event but it will be by invitation or ticketed. The Australian Murdock press will be vile, and their head-lines will be “no crowds for the Sussexes” where crowds were never intended. That will be a trick right out of the BM book. Anyone has been paying any slight attention to William’s rare appearances will notice that the police automatically put up barrier and that those barriers are barricading no one. William gets out of a car to virtually empty streets. Harry and Meghan will probably highlight internet safety. I think the social media will be what we should be paying most attention to.
I absolutely love that H&M continue to do their thing, unbothered by the psychos (William included).
And if they happen to throw into sharp contrast the laziness of W&K, well, that’s W&K’s fault.
Big problem for RF going forward is the contrast between Harry and Meghan regular doing humanitarian visits abroad and Kate no longer doing them when it’s a core part of her job. Wilbur does Earthshot gigs abroad and should be doing 2 Royal Tours a year with his missus but won’t. Latest podcast from Celebitchy discussion on the elephant pooping in the room: William is PROBLEMATIC and ain’t going to improve once he’s King. He’s been in retreat since 2024 and how do you hide/ justify that level of ineptitude once he’s King and paid a fortune to show up!