'Reason' Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Australia trip could 'worry' King Charles
The Sussexes head Down Under in AprilPrince Harry and Meghan Markle will head to Australia in just a few weeks, but the tour has faced some criticism.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will travel Down Under in April for a series of visits and engagements.
However, a petition was set up late last year regarding the funding of the overseas trip. At the time of writing, more than 39,000 people have signed the petition.
Now, a former royal butler has weighed in on the trip. He revealed why King Charles may feel some “worry” over the Sussexes’ visit.
Why King Charles may feel ‘worry’ over Harry and Meghan’s Australia trip
Speaking to JoeFortune, former royal butler Grant Harrold, who previously worked for the king, has said: “Australia doesn’t tend to agree with the monarchy at the best of times. The fact that they will have non-working members of the royal family going to Australia, they will probably have a warm welcome, possibly.
“Monarchy in Australia is a big debate at the moment. If anything, that will worry the king, because they’re trying to keep relations good with Australia. They won’t want Harry and Meghan going there, and causing any more upset, or spurring on more protests or discussions about the monarchy off the back of it.”
He added: “That is what the king and queen won’t want to happen while they’re out there. That is possibly how damage could potentially happen. When they’re there, if they do anything to cause any upset, it could potentially open up the debate about the monarchy all over again.”
Meanwhile, when asked if he thinks the royals will feel upset about the petition, Grant said: “They won’t necessarily be upset, but they will be interested that there is a petition out there saying that they should pay for themselves.
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“This is obviously not against the king and queen; it is against Harry and Meghan in this case, and they are saying that they are paying. I don’t think the royal family will be upset, though.”
Petition over the Sussexes’ Australia visit
The petition has made waves across the internet in recent days over the duke and duchess’ visit.
Advocacy group Beyond Australia set the petition up in November. The petition description reads: “Prince Harry and Meghan are visiting Australia in April 2026. As this is a private visit, Australian taxpayers must not fund security, logistics or government coordination.
They won’t want Harry and Meghan going there, and causing any more upset.
“At a time when Australians are facing significant cost-of-living pressures, including rising grocery bills, fuel prices, mortgage stress driven by interest rate hikes, and increasing energy costs, public resources must be used responsibly and applied fairly, without special treatment for high-profile individuals.”
They then called for the Australian Government to confirm that the trip will receive “no taxpayer-funded support”.
However, a spokesperson for the couple has said: “The trip is being funded privately, so I’m not sure what this petition hopes to achieve.”
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