It’s been a long while since I’ve written about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The royal news agenda has been dominated by other matters, from the fall…
Out from the Epstein scandal to the ever-busy schedules of the working royals. (Special mention for Queen Camilla’s powerful International Women’s Day speech, which you can read about here.)
Aside from regular dispatches from Harry’s ongoing claim against Associated Newspapers at the High Court and the news that Meghan’s As Ever tie-in with streaming giants Netflix has come to an end, there has been little of real significance to report.
But could that all be about to change? And what might that mean for the rest of the royal family if it does? The answer, I believe, depends on the outcome of two key events in the coming month or so.
Firstly, Harry and Meghan are returning to Australia in mid-April. Secondly, Harry is likely to learn the result of his security review, which could mean he starts spending a lot more time on this side of the Atlantic.
Sydney to start
Let’s look at the big trip to Sydney first. It’s been nearly eight years since the Sussexes last visit, when, as newlyweds, they were welcomed with open arms.
I vividly remember us journalists gathering around a phone just hours after they touched down, as their then-communications secretary Jason Knauf, unable to travel because of a broken collar bone, announced that they were expecting their first child.
The first signs that all was not well behind the scenes began to surface during that trip, and have been widely documented since.
But even then, no one could have foreseen the drama that lay ahead – drama which ultimately resulted in the couple living in the United States and largely estranged from the King and his family.
It will be fascinating to see how much the tumult of the intervening years may have affected their popularity Down Under. I’m also intrigued to see what they will choose to do during what I understand is planned to be a brief and low-key visit to Sydney.
We do know that Meghan will be the headline guest at a women-only retreat, having been suggested as a guest to Her Best Life podcast host Gemma O’Neill by their mutual friend Markus Anderson.
Given that Gemma has spoken of her admiration for what Meghan “has endured”, there is potential for the discussion to veer onto the Duchess’s unhappy two-year stint as a senior working royal, which came to an end just over six years ago now.
With Netflix no longer there as a supporting partner, she has a business to promote, and it would make sense to lean into the glossy, aspirational lifestyle content rather than rake over old royal coals.
Harry, meanwhile, is likely to reconnect with the military and veterans community in Sydney, where his Invictus Games was a huge hit in 2018. He also spent a month serving alongside the Australian military in 2015.
How well the Sussexes do or don’t go down with the Australian public will be a real litmus test for what else they may do this year, which will likely include a return to Africa at some point.
It will also be something for the wider royal family to watch. As a Realm nation, with King Charles as its Head of State, Australia receives fairly regular visits from members of The Firm.
The King and Queen were last there in October 2024, while a return trip for the Waleses has been rumoured for some time.
I was at the St Patrick’s Day Parade last year when Catherine told military personnel how she hoped to take the children to Australia now they were older.
Lest we forget, she has been recovering from cancer since early 2024, so can be forgiven for postponing any trip of that distance for a while.
First out the blocks
Does it matter if the Sussexes get in there first? I don’t think so. Theirs is not an official visit and they are not there to represent the King or the Government, just themselves.
They wanted financial freedom and they now have it, so we can’t begrudge them trying to make a living. But I do think it’s worth watching closely to see how much their programme resembles a royal visit.
Obviously no one has the monopoly on art therapy classes, but it did look uncannily like a royal engagement
Only this week we saw images of Meghan visiting sick children at the LA Children’s Hospital and joining in an art class, with a message shared by the hospital that might have come straight from the Princess of Wales’s playbook.
“These special moments are a reminder of how powerful creativity can be in fostering joy, connection, and healing,” it said.
Obviously no one has the monopoly on art therapy classes, but it did look uncannily like a royal engagement.
And that matters, because right now, it is clearer than ever that there needs to be a distinction between royals who are working to support the monarchy and the UK and those who are not.
A confused picture
Leaving aside the most serious allegations emanating from the Epstein files, the sorry saga of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his former wife Sarah Ferguson has served as a reminder of how blurred the lines can become when titles and influence are mixed with personal gain.
Throw into the mix the real possibility that Harry’s right to round-the-clock armed protection when in the UK could be restored following a Home Office review, and things get even more complicated.
They may not receive public funds, but they have their titles, the freedom to pursue commercial interests and a handful of charity affiliations to attend to.
They would also not be beholden to “The Grid” – a system to prevent diary clashes and distracting attention from the work those representing the Crown are doing to highlight good causes.
However much the King may want to be reunited with his youngest son and his grandchildren, and that can’t realistically happen until Harry’s security review and High Court case again against Associated Newspapers are resolved, the institutional reality is more complicated.
With round-the-clock protection in the UK, the Sussexes could effectively operate alongside the working royals, but outside the carefully managed framework that governs royal duties.
In a family and an institution that operates with a clear hierarchy, that could prove to be a headache the King doesn’t need right now.
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