Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will use their commercial work to fund their philanthropy, Coy says (Image: Getty)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are planning more “faux-royal tours”, a royal commentator has claimed. Bronte Coy, a senior reporter at news.com.au, covered the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s four day tour of Australia earlier this month. Harry and Meghan insisted the trip was a private initiative while critics claimed the visit was a bid to monetise their status as royals.
The Sussexes carried out engagements in Australia much like those performed by working royals. Their commercial endeavours included charging for tickets to certain events. Bronte was asked during an appearance on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive podcast whether she thought Harry and Meghan would use the Australia tour as a blueprint for future visits.
She replied: “Yes, it’s very interesting. As I said, once [the Australia tour] all wrapped up, the feeling on the ground was very positive.
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The feeling about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s tour is ‘very positive’, Coy says (Image: Getty)
“I think the headlines that were generated around it – obviously not so much, but they seem to think it was very successful. Certainly, they were feeling it went really well and in terms of hitting all the marks, it did.”
On what it means for Harry and Meghan’s future, Bronte said sources close to the pair told her the Australia tour was seen as a “trial run”.
She added: “They’ve done it. They feel it worked and they said they will unapologetically continue with this plan now into the future, which [involves] them using the commercial engagements they book to fund the philanthropic side of the tour and they will run them as that package.”
Bronte went on to say sources told her Harry and Meghan have other tours along those lines planned, but they would not share the details.
The Sussexes described their visit to Australia as privately funded and that it prioritised “listening, learning and supporting communities” rather than promotion.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle see the trip as being very successful, Coy says (Image: Getty)
A statement issued by the couple’s office said there were also a small number of private engagements to support broader charitable and commercial objectives.
Their words came amid criticism that the visit Down Under was a money-spinning publicity tour. Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper described the trip as a “faux royal tour to shore up Brand Sussex”.
During the trip, Harry and Meghan met patients at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital; joined an Invictus Australia sailing event in Sydney Harbour and visited Bondi Beach, which was the scene of a terror attack last year.
The visit also included an appearance by Meghan at a “girls weekend”. VIP tickets for the event at the five-star InterContinental Coogee Beach hotel cost £1,670.
Harry was a guest speaker at the InterEdge Summit in Melbourne where he spoke movingly about his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
Delegate tickets for that event were on sale for £525. Platinum tickets cost £1,250 and a virtual ticket allowing on-demand access to his speech cost £260.
The Sussexes’ tour led to accusations the couple had managed to achieve the “half-in, half-out” deal they originally wanted to strike with Buckingham Palace.
Their bid to work for the Royal Family and pursue their own commercial interests was rejected by the Palace, but some critics allege their latest tour allowed them to do just that.