Royal Expert Warns Sussexes Face 'Hornets' Nest' During Australia Visit
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, have announced plans to visit Australia in mid-April, but the announcement has been met with a decidedly mixed reaction from commentators and the public alike. According to a prominent royal expert, the couple are effectively "heading into the hornets' nest — covered in sticky honey" with this upcoming trip.
Backlash Fears and a Changed Landscape
Journalist and royal commentator Chris Riches has warned that Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, must "have thick skin" due to anticipated backlash, contrasting sharply with their well-received visit to Australia in October 2018, shortly after their wedding. Riches argues the landscape has shifted dramatically since then.
"Prince Harry and Meghan Markle think they will get a red carpet as 'welcomed Royals' when they arrive Down Under but they could be heading into the hornets' nest - covered in sticky honey," Riches stated. "If ever there was a time for one of their faux-Royals to jet into a country that's expressed the desire to axe Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the Line of Succession, it's not now."
Philanthropic Aims Amid Professional Setbacks
The visit comes at a challenging time for the Sussexes professionally. Their production company, Archewell Productions, has seen its deal with streaming giant Netflix come to an end. This partnership, which produced programmes including With Love, Meghan, concluded after the second series of that show flopped, with viewing figures plunging dramatically.
A Netflix insider described the mood as "We’re done," while sources close to the couple acknowledged the union with the streamer had "been far from a fairy tale." Chances for a third series of With Love, Meghan are now considered highly unlikely, even on alternative platforms.
Amid recent speculation about a potential return to royal duties in the UK, Harry and Meghan are believed to be planning to use the Australia trip to engage in philanthropic work, mirroring past royal engagements.
Broader Royal Family Controversies Loom Large
Riches further contends that global opinion of the British royal family is currently at a low ebb, particularly in the wake of the arrest of Prince Andrew, who denies any wrongdoing. This context, he suggests, fuels a more sceptical reception for any royal visit.
Writing for the Express, Riches highlighted political dimensions, noting: "Australia's prime minister Anthony Albanese has told Sir Keir Starmer his government would back plans to remove Andrew from the line of royal succession where he currently sits eighth in line to be King."
The commentator also pointed to the couple's own actions since stepping back from royal duties in 2020 and relocating to California. "They scarpered off to California and bad-mouthed anyone that would help sell some books and Netflix subscriptions," he wrote. "They fed the US's royal obsession that's rooted in celebrity, drama, our monarchy's centuries-long stability, America's fairytale love of heroic kings, dashing princes and pure princesses — plus our countries' unique, shared history."
As April approaches, the stage is set for a visit that promises to be scrutinised far more critically than their last Australian tour, with the couple's philanthropic intentions potentially colliding with a complex web of public sentiment, professional setbacks, and ongoing royal controversies.
