Prince Harry and Meghan face ‘heirs’ claim on Australia trip
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have drawn renewed scrutiny during their visit to Australia after a royal commentator claimed the couple’s engagements have been staged in a way that echoes traditional royal tours. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are undertaking a four-day schedule of appearances across Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, with a focus on veterans’ causes, mental health, sport and youth empowerment.
In Melbourne, the couple visited the Royal Children’s Hospital, where commentator Richard Fitzwilliams argued the appearance was designed to place them in a royal lineage connected to earlier visits by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry’s parents, the Mirror reported.
Fitzwilliams described the tour as a “faux royal” programme and said the Sussexes were “obviously positioning themselves as heirs” to a royal tradition, pointing to what he characterised as carefully planned public moments and photo opportunities. He also suggested the couple’s desire to step back from senior royal duties while retaining a public-facing role had previously contributed to tensions with the Royal Family following their departure.
Prince Harry’s second day included solo engagements, with the Duke visiting the Australian War Memorial and taking part in an event with men’s mental health charity Movember, where he spoke about therapy and his struggles, echoing comments covered in Britpop News reporting on his Melbourne remarks about family and accountability.
The Sussexes’ Australia itinerary continues with further appearances in Sydney, as debate persists over whether their overseas engagements amount to private charity work or a deliberate attempt to replicate the official royal model they left behind.
