Meghan appears as VIP at £1,400 ‘girls’ weekend retreat’ in Sydney
The Duchess of Sussex addressed attendees at a special “girls weekend” retreat in Sydney, where tickets are selling for £1,400. The “Best Life” event, held at the five-star InterContinental Coogee Beach hotel, offered VIP access for £1,670, including a group photo opportunity with the duchess.
Meghan’s appearance on Friday marked the final day of her visit to Australia with the Duke of Sussex. It appears that neither the Duke nor the Duchess received any remuneration for their respective undertakings during the voyage; Harry was not paid for his speech and Meghan was not paid for her performance on MasterChef Australia, which was previously filmed in Melbourne.
The Duchess was interviewed on stage for around 90 minutes in front of an audience of around 100 women, with the Duke of Sussex the only male participant. The hotel had extensive security measures in place, severely restricting media access to the private meeting. Staff were observed preparing the reception area before guests arrived for the afternoon special event.
The event’s website describes the retreat as “an unforgettable weekend for women ready to reconnect, recharge, and have some serious fun.”
A profile of Meghan described the duchess as a “mother, wife, entrepreneur and philanthropist” and “one of the most influential women in the world.”
The retreat also included “a women’s coaching session with renowned therapist Dr Justine Corry, yoga, sound healing, time by the pool, lunch, fine dinners and a disco night with a dance floor.”
Meghan’s attendance was announced last month by Gemma O’Neill, host of the Her Best Life podcast, who organized the 300-person event.
“I was in awe of this woman (Meghan) and the things she endured and how she overcame it and showed how a woman can be pushed down and still rise,” Ms O’Neill said at the time.
The podcast host described the three-day event at a beachside hotel as a “perfect girls’ weekend” and said Meghan contacted her after being contacted by a mutual friend.
He added: “I was so flattered that he actually did this as a favor, thanks to our mutual friend.
“She does this because she truly loves what our community is about, women trying to grow, trying to do their best, and trying to help other women.”
Earlier in the week, Meghan announced she would be investing in an AI-powered fashion platform and filmed an episode of MasterChef Australia during her visit to the country.
Meghan joined AI-powered fashion discovery platform OneOff as a “contributor and investor to create custom edits of her looks and give users direct access to shop her wardrobe.”
The outfits the Duchess wore during her visit to Australia this week can be seen on her website, along with details of what she wore and how much each piece of her look cost.
A publicist said Meghan was “thrilled to join the platform as it creates an interactive closet experience for consumers.”
The Duke of Sussex gave a keynote speech at a summit on workplace leadership in Melbourne on Thursday.
Delegate tickets for the summit were £525, platinum tickets were £1,250 and a virtual ticket with on-demand access to Harry’s speech was £260.
