Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expected to travel to Australia next month for a significant visit, marking their return to the country seven years after their widely publicised 2018 royal tour. During that earlier visit, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were greeted with enthusiastic crowds and widespread public attention.
At the time, the couple were still senior working members of the British royal family, and their arrival generated excitement across the country. However, the circumstances surrounding their upcoming trip are very different. Harry and Meghan stepped back from their roles as working royals in 2020 and now operate independently of official royal duties.
As a result, their visit may receive a more mixed reception. It remains unclear whether their travel plans were shared with Buckingham Palace before the announcement was made public. Reports suggest that the Palace was informed ahead of the couple’s recent trip to Jordan, which could indicate some level of coordination as part of ongoing efforts to maintain a working relationship with the royal household.
Still, the reaction in Australia may not mirror the warm welcome they once received. According to an insider cited by the Daily Mail, both monarchists and republicans in Australia may be sceptical about the visit. The source suggested that any appearance by members of the royal family or figures associated with it often reignites discussions about the monarchy’s role in the country.
They noted that any “royal” visit, regardless of whether it involves a working or non-working royal, will “inevitably create debate about the monarchy”.
Australia has long maintained close ties with the British monarchy, but discussions about becoming a republic have periodically resurfaced in the country’s political and cultural conversations. In that environment, high-profile visits by royal figures can quickly become part of broader national debates.
Royal journalist Tom Sykes believes the couple’s presence could intensify those discussions. He warned that Harry and Meghan are “likely to be lightning rods in Australia’s ongoing debate about the royal family and the country’s constitutional future”.
He further suggested that the couple should be prepared for a more complicated public reaction than they experienced during their earlier tour. “For now, one thing seems certain: Harry and Meghan will need thick skins when they arrive in a country where they are no longer assured of a warm welcome.”
Recent royal visits have already demonstrated the shifting tone of public engagement in Australia. When King Charles III visited the country in 2024 for the first time as reigning monarch, several demonstrations and heckling incidents occurred, particularly involving Indigenous groups raising political concerns.
Given that backdrop, observers say Harry and Meghan’s visit could attract both supporters and critics, making the trip closely watched by royal followers and political commentators alike.
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