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A lot of people aren’t sure what to make of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s upcoming trip to Australia.

While the Sussexes’ visit is a private one as they are no longer working royals representing the Crown, they’re still members of the British royal family and may not receive the warmest reception when they land Down Under. That became evident when a petition from Beyond Australia amassed more than 35,000 signatures demanding that no taxpayers’ money be spent on Harry and Meghan’s trip.

Now, someone who used to work for the duke’s father is sharing why it’s not the petition but something else about the visit that has King Charles “worried.”

Grant Harrold was King Charles’ butler for seven years. During his time working for the now-monarch, Harrold’s duties included those of valet, housekeeper, house manager, and driver. He also looked after Prince Harry, Prince William, and Kate whenever they stayed at Highgrove House. Since leaving the royal household, he’s become one of the U.K.’s leading etiquette experts, a best-selling author, and a royal commentator.

Speaking on behalf of Joe Fortune, Harrold told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “[King Charles and Queen Camilla] won’t necessarily be upset, but they will be interested that there is a petition out there saying that they [Sussexes] should pay for themselves. This is obviously not against the king and queen. It is against Harry and Meghan in this case, and they are saying that they are paying. I don’t think the royal family will be upset, though.”

However, Harrold does believe that the king will be worried about one thing in particular, explaining, “Australia doesn’t tend to agree with the monarchy at the best of times. The fact that they will have non-working members of the royal family going to Australia … Monarchy in Australia is a big debate at the moment, and if anything, that will worry the king, because they’re trying to keep relations good with Australia.

“They won’t want Harry and Meghan going there, and causing any more upset, or spurring on more protests or discussions about the monarchy off the back of it. That is what the king and queen won’t want to happen while they’re out there. That is possibly how damage could potentially happen. When they’re there, if they do anything to cause any upset, it could potentially open up the debate about the monarchy all over again.”

Royal expert Chris Riches weighed in on the pair’s trip as well and doesn’t believe it’s good time for the Sussexes or any members of the family to visit Australia, telling The Mirror, “Prince Harry and Meghan Markle think they will get a red carpet as ‘welcomed royals’ when they arrive Down Under, but they could be heading into the hornets’ nest — covered in sticky honey. If ever there was a time for one of their faux-royals to jet into a country that’s expressed the desire to axe Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the Line of Succession, it’s not now.” 

This will be the first time Meghan and Harry have visited the country since their 16-day tour of the South Pacific after they were married in 2018.

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