Meghan Markle ‘Horrified’ and ‘Losing Sleep’ Over Leak About Her Upcoming Australia Trip
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be visiting Australia in April. It will be the first time the couple is returning to the country since 2018, when they were still working members of the royal family. While the full details of the itinerary have not been shared publicly yet, something the duchess is doing was leaked, and that reportedly upset Meghan and is keeping her up at night.
Here’s what that is and why someone who used to work for Harry’s family says the trip is a good thing for the pair who want to be “celebrity royals.”
Why Meghan is reportedly ‘losing sleep’
One of the former Suits star‘s engagements Down Under includes a $1,920-per-person, women-only event in Sydney, where Meghan will be interviewed on stage. VIP tickets for the event, which offer front-row seats and a group photo with the duchess, cost $2,270.
A source told the Australian magazine New Idea: “[Meghan] was horrified when word got out, ahead of the official announcement, that she would be appearing at a women’s retreat in Sydney. She likes to be in control, and the chaotic announcement about her arrival was anything but polished.”
The source added: “While a leak about the trip isn’t the end of the world, Meghan’s losing sleep at what else could come out about her and Harry’s private dealings.”
Former royal family employee says the Sussexes are trying to be ‘celebrity royals’
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. In 2025, he published his first book, The Royal Butler, which became an Amazon bestseller. He regularly appears on TV offering royal commentary on both current and historic news stories.
Speaking on behalf of Joe Fortune, Harrold told Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “It sounds like they are trying to crack Australia, which I think would be a really good idea for them. It’s a Commonwealth country, so it has strong ties to the U.K. and the royal family, and brings in the previous work both Harry and Meghan have done with the organization.
“It will be interesting to see how they are received when they arrive. There is a strong move at the moment to convince Australia to stay as part of the Commonwealth. It’s a very important country to the U.K., as the king is still the Head of State. You can guarantee that their visit will be watched very closely by the government and the Palace.”
Harrold also believes that the country holds a “special place” in the Sussexes’ hearts, saying, “Australia holds a special place in their hearts as it’s where they went for their first royal tour back in 2018, just a few months after their wedding. It was Harry’s first time showing Meghan that side of royal life, and while it was a very busy itinerary they would have spared lots of very special moments and memories. They visited Sydney, Melbourne, and Dubbo — and I would love to see them return to some of these places, and possibly even to some of the organisations to see how they’ve progressed in the past few years.”
The former royal butler opined that the duke and duchess will want to be seen as “celebrity royals” and the trip will follow the same format as the other tours they’ve done recently as it was not arranged through goverments, explaining, “I imagine this tour would be similar to ones they’ve done since quitting the royal family, a kind of celebrity royal tour. This means it looks very similar to a royal tour in all aspects — the same kind of engagements, the same meetings and photo ops — but it’s not arranged through the governments. I think they are trying to be ‘celebrity royals.’ They want the celebrity lifestyle and the freedom that brings, but I think Harry misses his old lifestyle of regular engagements, shaking hands, and meeting people.
“The king will be aware. I think, as relations continue to improve, Harry would have shared his plans with his father. I don’t think the royal family or the household will try to stop it or get involved in any way, but it obviously won’t have royal backing. I think they’ll just do their own thing.”
