Meghan Markle is looking back on her and Prince Harry’s recent trip to Australia. The Duchess of Sussex shared highlights from the visit on social media, including stops at a children’s hospital and a mental health event with students.
But while the recap painted the tour in a positive light, one royal expert claims the trip was carefully managed to shield the couple from critics and hecklers. Markle also reflected on her past decade in the spotlight, describing it as an especially difficult period filled with public attacks.
Meghan Markle Recaps Australian Tour With Prince Harry
Markle took to social media to share a glimpse of her just-concluded trip to Australia with Prince Harry. In a video posted to her Instagram Story shortly after their departure, the couple is seen taking part in several engagements, including a visit to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, where they spent time with patients and their families.
In another moment, Harry is seen helping Markle out of their SUV as they arrive at an event, while a separate clip shows the former “Suits” actress wearing an apron as she prepares to serve meals at a women’s homelessness shelter.
Throughout the montage, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex appear inseparable, holding hands and smiling as they move through streets and office buildings. The video also includes footage from a dinner outing, where Markle briefly films Harry as he eats.
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Return Home After Australia Trip
In a second IG Story post, Markle shared a video of their return home to Montecito, where a “Welcome Home” sign was displayed at the entrance. The clip also appeared to show an unsealed note addressed to Princess Lilibet.
Reports have since claimed Harry wanted Archie and Lilibet to join the couple on the trip, hoping to turn it into a family getaway. Markle, however, reportedly had other priorities.
“She wasn’t comfortable, and when it comes to the children, what Meghan says goes,” a source told Rob Shuter’s Naughty But Nice Substack. “Security is always her number one concern. She wants them in a controlled environment, and that’s California.”
Prince Harry Reflects On Why He Rejected Royal Life
During the trip, Harry also spoke about some deeply personal struggles, revealing that he once did not want the life of a working royal following the death of his mother, Princess Diana.
Speaking at a conference focused on workplace mental health, Harry explained that Diana’s death left him struggling emotionally and shaped the way he viewed royal life for years.
“After my mum died just before my 13th birthday, I was like, ‘I don’t want this job. I don’t want this role. Wherever this is headed, I don’t like it,’” he recalled.
All the same, Harry later explained that his perspective eventually shifted as he began to see the potential impact of his position.
Meghan Markle Opens Up About Online Abuse
Harry and Markle stepped back from their working royal roles in 2020 and moved abroad to begin a new chapter. Still, the couple has remained firmly in the spotlight over the years.
The “Horrible Bosses” actress opened up about the online abuse she says she has faced for much of the last decade, telling the audience she was once the “most trolled person” in the world.
At a women’s retreat where she appeared as a featured guest, the Duchess reflected further on the public scrutiny she has endured, saying the last ten years have been “very hard” on her.
Expert Questions Success Of Australia Tour
Whether Harry and Markle’s Australia trip was truly a success remains open to debate. The visit left the couple facing widespread criticism, including a Change.org petition against their visit that drew more than 40,000 signatures.
Still, one expert suggested the tour may have appeared successful largely because it was tightly managed from the start. According to the BBC, the couple’s public engagements were carefully structured to limit the chances of them encountering criticism or visible public hostility.
“If they think it’s gone well, it’s because nothing has gone wrong,” said Giselle Bastin, an associate professor at Flinders University whose research focuses on Australia’s relationship with the monarchy.
She added that the trip appeared “very carefully controlled,” with the couple seemingly making more limited, selective appearances.