Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are back in California after their whirlwind trip down under.
Their return to Australia after eight years was framed as a victory, a carefully choreographed visit under the global spotlight.
But did the unofficial royal tour shift public perceptions of the couple?
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According to a Roy Morgan poll commissioned by 7NEWS for its Sunday night special, an overwhelming 81 per cent of respondents said the visit did not improve their opinion of the California-based couple.
A majority also believed the trip would do little to help Prince Harry repair his fractured relationship with King Charles, which has continued to deteriorate since he stepped back from royal duties in 2020.
During the tour, Meghan Markle spoke about the impact of social media on young people’s mental health, a moment that drew praise from some observers.
“For 10 years now, every day for 10 years, I have been bullied and attacked,” she told the group. “And I’m still here.”
Despite her candid remarks and efforts to present a more open side of herself, only 24 per cent of respondents said Meghan had come across more positively during the visit.
Even so, nearly half of those surveyed said they would welcome the couple moving to Australia, while 49 per cent believed the late Queen would have approved of the trip.
Public’s response to Harry and Meghan’s tour
It’s been eight years since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex last visited Australia.
They’ve indeed gone from working London-based royals to resident Californian celebrities selling jam, building media platforms and telling tech executives how to best handle stress.
The couple’s four-day Australian visit appeared markedly different to their previous tour, when they landed as heavily-scrutinised newlyweds and soon after announced their first pregnancy.
Despite a raft of private engagements, the week still carried subtle echoes of regality, with some observers describing it as an unofficial royal tour in all but name.
Crowded appearances, eager locals bearing gifts, a large media presence and heartfelt meet-and-greets with veterans all added to the royal atmosphere, official or not.
The reception has been mixed, with some praising the couple and others labelling the trip a cash grab.
“They are keen to resurrect their reputations as royals, while pretending they’re not royal and cashing in completely on their royal status,” royal author Tom Bower said.
“I just find them pretty unconvincing.
“For a couple who said they had to leave Britain because they needed their privacy, who now do everything to expose not only themselves but their children to cash in on it all, it’s pretty grotesque.”
However, others have hailed the trip a success.
Melburnians openly welcomed the couple in their droves, particularly during their first public appearance at the city’s Royal Children’s Hospital, where Harry and Meghan were greeted like rock stars.
“They were friendly and they were very, very nice to me,” four-year-old oncology patient Lily said.
Harry, the guest of honour, participated in a Movember discussion about men’s mental health and fatherhood before taking to the field for a chat with players and a kick of a football.
At Swinburne University, where the pair visited mental health organisation Batyr, a crowd lined barricades as news of the visit spread.
Harry and Meghan met with veterans on their final day in Sydney, with the duke dancing with kids before taking a boat ride on the harbour alongside Invictus Australia representatives and finishing the day at a rugby match.
Meanwhile, Meghan was whisked off to headline a women’s retreat, where tickets reportedly started at $2699.
The couple’s visit eight years earlier lasted 16 days and included more than 70 engagements, ranging from meeting drought-stricken farmers in Dubbo to cuddling koalas at Taronga Zoo and greeting children at a reception hosted by the prime minister.
But much has changed since, with them stepping away as senior royals in 2020, followed by lucrative Netflix and Spotify deals, as well as Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare.
Sunday at 9.00pm on Seven and 7plus, 7NEWS presents Harry and Meghan: Victory or Vanity, exploring the couple’s Australian tour, the public reaction and its impact on their global profile.
– With AAP
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source 7news.com.au ’
