Australians are demanding that Harry and Meghan pay for themselves on their quasi-royal visit by launching a fresh petition, which has already amassed thousands of signatures.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to arrive Down Under next month, but ahead of their trip, advocacy group Beyond Australia has urged the government not to use taxpayer funds for the coupleâs security, logistics and other requirements.
As of this evening, the petition on Change.org titled No Taxpayer-Funding or Official Support for Harry & Meghanâs Private Visit to Australia had reached a total of 32,715 signatures.
The group spearheading the campaign said: âThe activities are private and commercial and must be treated strictly as a private visit.
âAt 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.â
There was speculation as to whether taxpayers would fund Meghan and Harryâs visit, as both the federal and state governments in Australia had previously declined to confirm who would be responsible for their protection.
However, it has since been understood that the Sussexesâ trip to Australia is being 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 wherever they went, and also stayed at the Governor-Generalâs residence, which overlooks the world-famous Sydney Harbour.
The recent petition comes after an Australian âultimate girlsâ weekendâ, where Meghan was billed as the star guest, encountered more trouble in recent days.
Pictured: Prince Harry and Meghan during their visit to Jordan last February
Meghan is appearing at a women-only event in Sydney, which is described as a âgirlsâ weekend like no otherâ â but the event has been rocked by problems ever since its launch
Last week, it was revealed that the hotelâs pool and spa are not finished, and the beach below has been battling effluent âpoop ballsâ for more than two years.
On March 19, a spokesman for the Duchess confirmed she will still be appearing at the inaugural âHer Best Life Retreatâ in Sydney despite setbacks.
The all-women event, dubbed âMeg-stockâ, is set to welcome around 300 guests to the three-day luxury retreat between April 17 and 19.
The event has sold out, with VIP ticket holders able to bag front-row seats as well as a group photo with Meghan herself at the gala at the Intercontinental Hotel.
But the establishment overlooking Sydneyâs Coogee beach, which describes itself as a ânew era of beachside eleganceâ, is rushing to finish works in time for the event.
Recently, it emerged that the new infinity pool overlooking the Tasman Sea is still under construction. And the spa, bar and âleisure deckâ are also due to be completed next month.
One guest who stayed at the hotel last week called the refurbishment of the pool âa work in progressâ and a âblot on the viewâ, the Daily Mail can reveal.
And those wanting to relax on the beach below will also have concerns because, since 2024, foul-smelling balls made up of a mixture of chemicals, soap scum, cooking oil, hair and human excrement have been washing up.
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said: âItâs a moot point. The trip is being funded privately, so Iâm not sure what this petition hopes to achieveâŠ
âOf course, if you wanted to dive into the ridiculousness of this petition as an agenda for spreading misinformation, then one could equally hypothesise that there are approximately 26.5 million Australians (99.98% of the population) who havenât signed it, who must therefore agree with the tax-payer picking up the tab for their visit.
âOf course, that is another equally stupid assertion to make but hey, why let common sense get in the way of a good story⊠â
The Daily Mail previously approached the hotel and the organisers for comment.
