The Princess of Wales has been left furious in the wake of Harry and Meghan’s ‘faux royal’ tour, as they continue to criticise the monarchy
@Getty Images: Danny Lawson – WPA Pool/Getty Images, RAUL ARBOLEDA / AFP
They swept into Australia last week with all the majesty of a royal tour, hugging children in the crowds, nobly accepting flowers and putting a spotlight on worthy causes. But while Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s trip Down Under seemingly took the country by storm, their visit wasn’t quite so well received back home – particularly by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Insiders tell Closer that the couple were ‘blindsided’ by their controversial four-day ‘faux royal’ tour – and can’t help but feel like the Sussexes are still trying to have their cake and eat it too.
‘Prince William and Kate are furious,’ our source says.
‘There was an assumption that this would be a low-key and contained visit, but it wasn’t. Within Palace circles, it was felt that the Sussexes’ global pull had cooled and that sustained negative coverage, particularly in the UK, would shape how any overseas visit was received. Instead, Australia is telling a different story. The public turnout was surprisingly strong and the reception was warm.’
the waleses are disgruntled ©Eddie Mulholland – WPA Pool/Getty Images
Initially, Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, had denied reports they were embarking on some kind of publicity tour, claiming instead it was a low-key trip that would combine charity work with private engagements that focused on their ‘commercial objectives’.
The itinerary still read royal – especially given that their first stop was the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, the same hospital that Harry’s parents, King Charles and Princess Diana, visited in 1985. Other visits on the roster included a solo trip by Meghan to a woman’s shelter and an appearance by Harry at the Australian Football League’s headquarters to launch an initiative with men’s health charity Movember.
Crucially, in addition to all their royally coded outings, they also cashed in – seemingly pulling off their long-held dream to make money while still serving as senior royals. It was a hope that was ultimately dashed by the late Queen Elizabeth, who told them they couldn’t have ‘one foot in, one foot out’.
Having invested in the AI fashion platform OneOff, which allows fans to shop their favourite celebrity’s looks, Meghan made sure that all her highly-publicised outfits – worth thousands of pounds – were immediately available to buy online. She also put in a glitzy appearance on MasterChef Australia – remindin herself as a lifestyle and cookery guru – and was the headline guest at the Her Best Life women’s wellness retreat, where VIP tickets were sold for £1,700.
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meghan and harry in australia ©Getty Images: Jonathan Brady / POOL / AFP
The couple raised eyebrows when Harry declared he never wanted to be a working royal because it ‘killed’ his mother, and that he had felt ‘lost, betrayed, or completely powerless’ during his life. Meanwhile, Meghan told fans she was ‘bullied’ online for a decade and was ‘the most trolled person in the entire world’.
It’s not the first time Harry and Meghan have spoken out. After stepping away from royal duties in 2020 and moving to the US, the couple publicly criticised the royal family during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which Harry described William as being ‘trapped’ and Meghan claimed that Kate made her cry. They went on to share more bombshell revelations in their Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, while Harry also spoke out in his memoir, Spare.
For Kate, 44, and William, 43, our source says it’s embarrassing to see Harry and Meghan now acting like ‘fake royals’ after everything they’ve been through over the past six years. ‘Their frustration runs far deeper than headlines,’ the insider continues.
‘Kate is particularly upset because many of the initiatives the Sussexes are now championing were originally developed through the Royal Foundation – the joint charity endeavour created by William, Kate, Harry and Meghan. There’s a feeling they’ve taken that shared vision and made it their own, and the Waleses are frustrated by it. That’s a sore point for William and Kate.’
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For now, it seems like all William and Kate can do is keep an eye on proceedings and try to redress the balance. However, the royal family still faces the fallout from all of Harry and Meghan’s actions, as evidenced yet again by this trip when it came to the question of security. While Harry and Meghan claimed they paid for the trip, the fact that police were deployed to protect the peace at certain public appearances led to backlash over the question of taxpayers’ money.
Many slammed the decision, while Jess Wilson, the leader of the opposition Liberal Party in the state of Victoria, said that it was ‘absolutely unacceptable’.
Though this had nothing to do with Buckingham Palace, it inevitably dragged the royals back into the picture. Our insider adds, ‘Harry and Meghan have never been willing to toe the line. They’ve chosen their own path, and the Palace and even William and Kate no longer have any control over the situation. That loss of control is unsettling.
‘For William and Kate, the issue is not just that Harry and Meghan’s Australia trip has been a success. It’s how it succeeded. They weren’t supposed to be competing in this space anymore, but that’s exactly what is happening.’
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