Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have kicked off the public portion of their trip to Australia Tuesday. Now, they’re embarking on a series of events and engagements that looks fairly similar to what they did during their last visit to the continent back in October 2018. Their itinerary will take them to an array of sites connected to their charitable interests, including a children’s hospital in Melbourne, the Australian War Monument in Canberra, and an Invictus Games–related sailing event around Sydney Harbor.
But there is one aspect of their trip that shows exactly how much has changed for Harry and Meghan since the couple left their royal roles in March 2020. A source tells Vanity Fair that this time around, the couple’s down under itinerary does not include any public walkabouts. Instead, their goal is to minimize any disruption to the public as they travel to their engagements.
The walkabout, a slow-paced meet and greet with the public, was a favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth, and these appointments are a typical feature of any official royal tour program. By eschewing the walkabout on this trip, Harry and Meghan are subtly emphasizing that this program is a privately funded journey on behalf of their personal charitable endeavors, rather than a diplomatic undertaking like the ones taken by active royals.
There will still be a few moments where Harry and Meghan might be able to chat with members of the general Australian public. On Wednesday, the couple is set to attend the InterEdge Summit, a professional development conference for mental health practitioners and activists. Then, over the weekend, Meghan is set to be the keynote speaker at a “Girl’s Weekend” retreat hosted by Her Best Life, an Australian woman’s podcast. Tickets for the weekend, which included hotel rooms, yoga, and a disco celebration, were priced from $2,699 to $3,199.
According to People, Meghan was introduced to Her Best Life co-host Jackie O’Neill by their mutual friend Markus Anderson. Anderson, whose friendship with Meghan dates back to before her days as an actress in Suits, is a Soho House consultant who reportedly introduced the lifestyle guru to her future husband.
