A royal expert has claimed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may have jeopardised their royal relations following their recent tour of Australia. During the four-day visit, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s itinerary featured philanthropic endeavours, learning about Indigenous culture, and Australian sport. The couple also used the trip for personal and business opportunities. Meghan expanded the reach of her lifestyle brand, As Ever, while Prince Harry dropped a bombshell, alleging that the royal life ‘killed’ his mother during a keynote speech.
Aside from this — and the ditching of ‘walkabouts,’ informal public strolls where Royal Family members mingle, shake hands, and chat with crowds — the tour looked very much like a royal visit. Now, royal reporter Richard Palmer has stated that the couple’s ‘half in, half out’ royal life might rub some family members up the wrong way, most notably, King Charles.
Palmer told The Mirror: ‘The Duke and Duchess of Sussex essentially got what they wanted, which is to be half in, half out of royal life.’ He continued: ‘What Harry said about his childhood and the past didn’t come close to what was said in the Netflix series and in his autobiography Spare.’ However, Palmer claimed these reasons aren’t ‘where the problem lies.’ Rather, he explained that the monarchy is ‘all about public service, not private gain, and non-working royals who are as high-profile as Harry and Meghan appearing to cash in on their royal status attracts uncomfortable attention for the palace.’
Palmer added that Harry and Meghan aren’t funded by the taxpayer. Nor do they ‘officially’ represent the UK. Nevertheless, he said that — despite their Australian tour being confirmed as privately funded — they were doing ‘similar things to the royals on their quasi-royal tour, and appear to be earning money from doing it.’ According to the expert, this is what has ‘raised concerns with the palace.’
King Charles and Queen Camilla are currently in the US on a state visit, the first since President George W. Bush hosted the late Queen Elizabeth in 2007. The monarch’s itinerary doesn’t include a stop to see Harry, though, who last saw his father in September 2025, when he met with the King at Clarence House for tea. Prior to that, it was February 2024, when Harry travelled from California to the UK to see the King after his cancer diagnosis.
John McDermott, producer of the royal podcasts Palace Intrigue and Crown and Controversy – King Charles, speculated on a reason why the King won’t visit his son. He said: ‘One of the complications is if Charles did meet with Harry, it overshadows the whole trip, and the point of the trip is the state visit.’
