A Tale of Two Sussexes: Empty Seats and Million-Dollar Bills Haunt Harry and Meghan’s Australian Tour

SYDNEY – In the halls of the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Prince Harry stood as the image of his mother, Princess Diana—vulnerable, empathetic, and deeply focused on the “invisible wounds” of mental health. But only a few hundred miles away in Sydney, a very different story was unfolding for the Duchess of Sussex, one that critics are calling a “commercial meltdown.”

As the Sussexes cross the halfway point of their 2026 “quasi-royal” tour of Australia, the carefully curated facade of the “Sussex Brand” is facing its most grueling test yet. From leaked emails to a taxpayer revolt, the “tour of healing” is rapidly being rebranded by the public as a “tour of luxury.”

The $3,000 “Ghost Town”

The crown jewel of Meghan’s visit was supposed to be the “Her Best Life” Wellness Summit, an elite three-day event with tickets priced at a staggering $3,000. However, by Thursday morning, the “Sold Out” signs were replaced by frantic “Buy One Get One Free” (BOGO) offers sent to local influencers and mailing lists.

“The optics are devastating,” says digital editor Marcus Thorne. “While Harry is speaking to families about the struggles of the cost-of-living crisis and mental well-being, his wife is attempting to fill a room where the entry fee alone could pay a month’s rent for those same families. The jarring contrast isn’t just a PR mistake; it’s a brand disaster.”

“As Ever” – A Business Trip in Disguise?

Further fueling the fire is the revelation that Meghan’s team filed international trademarks for her new lifestyle brand, “As Ever,” just hours before the couple landed in Sydney. The brand, which reportedly includes luxury candles, artisanal jams, and “wellness” garden tools, appears to be the real engine behind the tour.

Critics have been quick to point out the timing. While Harry walks the same hospital halls his mother did decades ago, his wife is allegedly scouting locations for promotional photoshoots. “Is this a tribute to Diana, or a backdrop for a product launch?” questioned one viral TikToker whose video has already surpassed 2 million views.

The 45,000-Signature Revolt

The Australian public’s patience also appears to be wearing thin. Despite the couple’s claims that the trip is “privately funded,” the bill for their massive security detail—estimated at over $1.2 million—is being picked up by New South Wales and Victorian police.

A petition demanding that the Sussexes reimburse the Australian taxpayer has already garnered over 45,000 signatures. “We are happy to have them visit,” the petition reads, “but we aren’t happy to pay for a private commercial tour disguised as a royal visit.”

A Media War in the Shadows

The tension reached a breaking point on Wednesday night when the Sussexes’ PR team reportedly threatened legal action against three major Australian news outlets for “breaking a media embargo.” The outlets had leaked details of the couple’s private schedule, exposing a series of high-end dinners with tech billionaires that were not on the official “charity” itinerary.

The Ultimate Cliffhanger

As the couple prepares for the final leg of their journey, the question remains: Can the Sussex brand survive this level of scrutiny?

Prince Harry continues to draw crowds with his genuine warmth and advocacy for veterans and mental health. But as long as those efforts are tethered to $3,000 ticket sales and secret trademark filings, the “Red Carpet” in Australia may continue to feel more like a commercial runway than a royal welcome.

For now, all eyes are on the Sydney summit. If the seats remain empty, it won’t just be a quiet room—it will be a deafening statement about the future of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Harry and Meghan join Aboriginal walking tour in Melbourne

PA

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are shown a Marngrook, a possum skin ball used to play traditional Aboriginal games.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have taken a journey through First Nations Australians’ history in Melbourne on day three of their visit to the country.

Prince Harry and Meghan joined an Aboriginal walking tour on Thursday called the Scar Tree Walk, an important cultural heritage site experience in the city.

Led by local Indigenous guides, the couple walked along the Birrarung, which is the traditional name for Melbourne’s Yarra river.

The couple, who are no longer working royals, are touring Australia in a private capacity and have combined visits to charitable causes with commercial ventures.

As part of the tour, which began at Koorie Heritage Trust in Melbourne’s Federation Square, the duke and duchess got to handle a Marngrook.

A Marngrook is a traditional ball of possum fur that is thought to be the origin of the Australian Rules Football (AFL)’s signature oval ball.

On Wednesday, Prince Harry had joined players from an AFL team for a lesson in how to play the sport.

“The fact that the Duke yesterday was at a football club, I think it’s a really great connection,” Tom Mosby, CEO of the Koorie Heritage Trust, told the BBC.

The former royals saw an art installation during their journey, and learned how the river and surrounding lands were used for fishing and hunting by traditional owners.

This tour was about the couple being able to see what actually lies under the city, Mosby told the BBC.

Melbourne is a “contemporary urban place” but “at the same time there is still a very strong connection by the Aboriginal people to this traditional country”.

Mosby said the couple were also very interested in Victoria’s Treaty process. The state of Victoria only recently passed Australia’s first formal treaty with traditional owners in 2025.

BBC/Simon Atkinson
Tom Mosby, CEO of the Koorie Heritage Trust, and a proud Kulkalgal and Kemer Kemer Meriam man.

Some local residents and visitors were lucky enough to meet the couple while they were on the walk.

Sofia Rocha, a Brazilian woman visiting Melbourne for her sister’s wedding, was on a run along the river when she saw the famous couple.

“It was so nice,” she said. “They are the most gorgeous couple.”

Narelle Zagami, a local resident, went to meet the visitors. “It’s very emotional. I love Harry. They are just beautiful people,” she said.

When asked about the criticism of the couple making money during their trip as private citizens, Zagami did not agree.

“They’ve got to make a living as well. It’s part of their life now, this sort of thing, so I think it’s good,” she said.

It was a similar feeling for local Vita Benic, who also made the effort to see the Prince of Wales, as the future King Charles III was then, and his late first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, during their 1983 Australia visit.

“I just wanted to let them know what wonderful people they are,” Benic said, who gave the couple children’s colouring books for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

“They’re the epitome of what a family should be,” Benic said.

BBC/ Simon Atkinson
Narelle Zagami, a local resident, smiling with Harry and Meghan during the Scar Tree Walk in Melbourne.

Prince Harry and Meghan’s last visit to Australia was in 2018, a few months after their marriage.

During that visit, the couple spent around nine days in the country and large crowds gathered to greet them during their public visits.

On Wednesday, Prince Harry spoke at the launch of a report into the mental health of fathers. He spoke about his own experiences of becoming a parent, and said children should try to be an “upgrade” of their fathers.

The former prince also visited the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

Meanwhile, Meghan filmed an episode on the new season of hit Australian show MasterChef Australia on Wednesday. She will appear as a guest judge on the show on Sunday.