Australians demand Harry and Meghan pay for pseudo-royal visit themselves as petition to not use taxpayer money hits more than 32,000 signatures

Australians are demanding that Harry and Meghan be covered for the costs of their royal-like visit by launching a new petition that has already collected thousands of signatures.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will arrive Down Under next month, but ahead of their trip, advocacy group Beyond Australia has called on the government not to use taxpayer funds for the couple’s security, logistics and other needs.

The petition titled No Taxpayer Funding or Official Support for Harry and Meghan’s Private Visit to Australia on Change.org has reached a total of 32,715 signatures as of this evening.

The group spearheading the campaign said: ‘The activities are private and commercial and should be treated as a strictly private visit.

‘At a time when Australians face significant cost-of-living pressures, including rising grocery bills, fuel prices, mortgage stress caused by interest rate rises and rising energy costs, public resources must be used responsibly and applied fairly, without special treatment for high-profile individuals.’

There was speculation about whether taxpayers would fund Meghan and Harry’s visit, as both the federal and state governments in Australia had previously refused to confirm who would be responsible for their protection.

However, it has since been revealed that Meghan and Harry’s trip to Australia was privately funded.

Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, previously visited Australia in 2018 when they were both senior working members of the Royal Family.

The couple had a police escort everywhere they went and were also staying at the Governor-General’s residence overlooking world-famous Sydney Harbour.

The latest petition comes after Australia’s “ultimate girls” weekend, where Meghan was announced as the star guest, ran into more problems in recent days.

Meghan is attending a women-only event being described as a one-of-a-kind ‘girls weekend’ in Sydney, but the event has been rocked by problems since its launch.

Last week it was revealed that the hotel’s pool and spa had not yet been completed and the beach below had been struggling with wastewater ‘poop balls’ for more than two years.

On March 19, a spokesperson for the Duchess confirmed that she would continue to appear at the launch of her ‘Best Life Retreat’ in Sydney, despite the setbacks.

The all-female event, called ‘Meg-stock’, will host approximately 300 guests for a three-day luxury holiday between 17-19 April.

Event tickets are sold out; VIP ticket holders were able to get front row seats and have a group photo taken with Meghan at the premiere at the Intercontinental Hotel.

But the resort overlooking Sydney’s Coogee beach, which describes itself as a ‘new era of beachside elegance’, is rushing to finish its work in time for the event.

It was recently revealed that construction is continuing on the new infinity pool overlooking the Tasman Sea. The spa, bar and ‘entertainment area’ are also planned to be completed next month.

A guest staying at the hotel last week described the pool refurbishment as a ‘work in progress’ and ‘a blemish on the view’, the Daily Mail has revealed.

Those who want to relax on the beach below will also be worried because, since 2024, foul-smelling balls made of a mixture of chemicals, soap scum, cooking oil, hair and human feces have been washed up.

The Daily Mail had previously approached the hotel and organizers for comment.