What Has the Royals so ‘Concerned’ About Meghan’s Australia Appearance?
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have touched down in Australia for their four-day trip to the country they last visited together in 2018.
Since stepping down as working royals in 2020, the pair have embarked on similar trips as “private citizens” to Nigeria, Colombia, and Jordan. But the difference between their visit and visits by other private citizens is security, which the Sussexes will have with them at all times while Down Under. And that is something many Australian taxpayers have been fuming over since they will be footing that bill.
The Sussexes’ 96-hour itinerary includes stops in Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney for philanthropic and business engagements. One such engagement is a women’s retreat hosted by the Her Best Life podcast featuring a Q&A with Meghan that costs around $2,000 per person and still has tickets available.
That particular event is what a former royal employee says will have King Charles and the rest of the family “concerned.”
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 OLBG, Harrold told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “It is quite unusual for a royal to sit down and participate in an open question-and-answer format where anything could potentially be asked.
“Even though [Meghan] is a non-working member of the royal family, she is still a member of the family, which makes this situation particularly sensitive and potentially tricky because in a Q&A you simply cannot control what might come up. There could be questions about the royal family more broadly, or there could be questions about relationships within the family.”
Harrold continued, “Because of this, I think it is very likely that the royal family will feel concerned about the idea of her doing this live podcast because they will be aware that there is no formal process in place to prepare or guide her responses in advance, and without that kind of oversight it could end up being entirely whatever she chooses to say in the moment.
“I don’t expect the royal family to intervene publicly or make any formal statements about it, but privately, they will almost certainly be hoping that she exercises restraint and avoids saying anything that could cause unnecessary problems, create negative headlines, or make life difficult for them behind the scenes.”
The former royal butler believes that Meghan’s husband may caution her about saying certain things since he said he wants to reconcile with his family and that last thing anyone wants is fresh tension between the parties.
Harrold opined, “Prince Harry is clearly trying to repair his relationship with his family, so I imagine he would be particularly cautious about this kind of situation, and if he has had any conversations about it, he would probably be urging her to be very careful about what she chooses to discuss.
“I imagine the guidance would be to keep the focus on her own life, her work, her films, and her immediate family, and to avoid bringing him or the wider royal family into the discussion. If she does decide to go ahead regardless, even with the best intentions, it is possible that it could create some tension between them, particularly at a time when he is trying to rebuild and maintain those important family relationships.”
