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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are headed Down Under – and that has Buckingham Palace concerned. 

The Sussexes are days away from their much-hyped visit to Australia, which will take them to Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney. While their full schedule hasn’t yet been revealed, the couple is set to “take part in a number of private, business and philanthropic engagements,” according to Australian news outlets.

Buckingham Palace wishes Meghan and Harry would scrap Australia trip 

This is the second visit to Australia for the pair, who first visited the country together in 2018, soon after their marriage. During that trip, they were official working royals. This time, they’re traveling as private citizens. But royal insiders are still worried about the optics of the visit.   

“I’m sure [Buckingham Palace] would prefer that Harry and Meghan weren’t going, but there’s not a lot they can do about it. They have no control,” Robert Jobson, author of The Windsor Legacy, told Page Six. “There will undoubtedly be a sense of confusion about what Harry and Meghan are there for … this trip may stick in the gullet of the palace.”

If Harry and Meghan make it seem like they are on a second royal tour, they could face blowback from the royal family. 

“It does get confusing,” writer Robert Hardman, author of Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story, told Page Six. “If they are traveling as celebrities — which is what they are — that’s fine, but if there is any royal or official apparatus then that’s going to invite criticism.”

Anti-monarchy sentiment in Australia could make the visit “all the more awkward,” Jobson pointed out. 

Harry and Meghan trip has been in the works for months, and Prince William has reportedly “seething” about it. He’s worried that the couple “will be treated like visiting royalty” during their time in Australia, which he sees as “fraudulent.” 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s plans for latest tour

Harry and Meghan are covering the costs of their Australia jaunt, including security. And they have no plans to meet with government officials during their time there. Instead, Harry will be the keynote speaker at the InterEdge Summit in Melbourne, where he’ll talk about workplace mental health. Meghan will be a special guest speaker at the “Her Best Life” luxury women’s retreat in Sydney. Harry may also take place in events related to the Invictus Games, the athletic organization he founded in 2014. Meanwhile, Meghan may also hold meetings related to bringing her lifestyle brand, As Ever, to Australia. 

Australia last played host to an official royal visit in November 2025, when Princess Anne toured the country. In 2024, King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited Australia. There have been rumors that Prince William and Kate Middleton might visit sometime later in 2026, though there has been no official announcement about a royal tour. 

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