The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are about to begin their second trip Down Under, a visit that will present a stark contrast with their headline-grabbing trip nearly a decade earlier.
During Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle’s 2018 visit, part of a 16-day tour of the Pacific, adoring crowds clamoured to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds as they walked hand-in-hand down the Opera House steps.
Much of the nation collectively gushed as news of their pregnancy was announced alongside images of the pair affectionately patting a koala at Taronga Zoo.
But since the tour, the Sussexes have famously dropped their statuses as working royals, became embroiled in multiple high-stakes legal battles and launched a series of commercial endeavours.
The four-day visit, beginning on Tuesday, would carry a very different and more low-key feel, according to royal commentator and columnist Victoria Arbiter.
“They really need this to go well,” the Australia-based royal-watcher told AAP.
“The 2018 trip was different in that there was such a sense of excitement for their arrival.
“Everywhere they went they received an incredible welcome … media coverage was fawning, effusive.
“We cut to eight years later and they’re coming in a very different capacity now.”
The couple will head to multiple Australian cities for various private, business and philanthropic engagements.
Organisers of a three-day women’s retreat say Meghan will headline the exclusive event – pitched as a “girls weekend like no other” – while Harry is set to deliver a keynote speech on workplace mental health at a Melbourne summit.
Tickets to the retreat start at $2699, while in-person attendance at the summit will set back punters about $1000 or more.
Ms Arbiter, who has covered numerous royal events for US and Australian media outlets, said it was difficult for many people to reconcile the couple using their royal titles to pursue their private interests.
After launching her lifestyle brand As Ever, Meghan filed and secured trademarks for the venture in Australia in 2025.
“They’ve failed to read the room,” Ms Arbiter said.
“When they first left the royal family they had the world on their side (but) people are now losing sympathy.”
Mental health, youth empowerment and veteran support are also expected to be central themes of the visit, reflecting the oft-cited priorities of the couple.
Their charities include the Invictus Games, which Harry launched in 2014 to support injured veterans.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source aapnews.aap.com.au ’
