Harry and Meghan’s Australian experiment continues
A visit befitting a royal family will act as a commercial experiment for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as their Australian tour enters its second day.
Prince Harry and Meghan will have another busy day on Wednesday; Harry will meet charity representatives at the headquarters of AFL team Western Bulldogs in Melbourne before flying to Canberra for events at the Australian War Memorial.
The four-day visit could be mistaken for an official royal tour, with its charity shows, hospital visits and fanfare, but the pair are no longer working as royals and are visiting in a private capacity.
The visit is not unusual, according to University of Sydney history professor and monarchy expert Cindy McCreery, who told AAP it was probably for marketing purposes.
“The fact that they chose Australia to carry out this activity reflects what Australia can contribute to their brand,” Dr McCreery said.
“We also need to know that their options are somewhat limited, that they may not be able to make this trip in Britain. This is simply not supported.”
“Australia is an experiment and it will be interesting to see whether this will lead to future visits to other countries with the same kind of combination of philanthropic and business activities.”
This visit was the couple’s first since 2018, when they spent nine days traveling around Australia.
Excited crowds gathered to greet the couple on Tuesday, joining families and young people in the foyer of Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital.
Following the hospital, the Duke and Duchess toured the center, which provides support to women and children experiencing domestic violence and homelessness, before visiting the Australian National Veterans Art Museum.
Harry will return to Melbourne on Wednesday night before joining Meghan for the Scar Tree Walk, a cultural journey connecting traditional and contemporary Aboriginal cultures.
The commitments will then move towards a more commercial focus, with Harry set to give a keynote speech at the InterEdge Psychosocial Safety Summit in Melbourne, where tickets range from around $1000 to $2400.
The pair will fly to Sydney on Thursday, where Meghan will headline a special three-day women’s retreat dubbed “a girls’ weekend like no other” with tickets starting at $2,699.
The Duke and Duchess will end their trip in Sydney, where they will sail around the harbor and attend a rugby match.
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