Australia is getting ready for a significant Royal visit as K ing Charles and Queen Camilla are expected to touch down later this week. The Royal couple will be making their first trip to the country since 2018, with stops in Sydney and Canberra.
This came in the same year that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle undertook a high-profile tour of Australia just months after they were married. The Sussexes spent 16 days touring Australia, Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand on their inaugural joint Royal tour.
On the eve of the tour, it was announced that Meghan and Harry were expecting their son, Prince Archie. The couple drew massive crowds during their tour, attending an impressive 76 engagements.
However, Valentine Low, former Royal correspondent for The Times, claims in his book, Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, that although Meghan “enjoyed the attention” she received, she didn’t understand the purpose of Royal walkabout.
He writes: “On the South Pacific tour, Harry and Meghan were going down a storm. Massive crowds were turning out to see them, and Meghan’s refreshingly informal approach to royal visits was proving a hit with the Australian public.”
“Behind the scenes, however, it was a different story. Although she enjoyed the attention, Meghan failed to understand the point of all those walkabouts, shaking hands with countless strangers. According to several members of staff, she was heard to say on at least one occasion: ‘I can’t believe I’m not getting paid for this’.”
The book also includes an insider’s account claiming that upon seeing fans waiting outside the Sydney Opera House, Meghan remarked to her team: “What are they all doing here? It’s silly.” As Charles and Camilla prepare to arrive in Australia later this week, the Sydney Opera House is set to play a significant role in their tour. It will be lit up in a grand welcome for the King and Queen.
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