‘She wasn’t the hero, she was6 a cog’: Meghan Markle ‘expected more praise’ from royal family after 2018 Australia tour

‘She wasn’t the hero, she was6 a cog’: Meghan Markle ‘expected more praise’ from royal family after 2018 Australia tour
A Sky News Australia special report has revealed new details about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 2018 Australia tour just a year before the Sussexes left the royal family.

The Royals in Australia
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Australia tour in 2018 became the “catalyst” for the Sussexes leaving the royal family, a Sky News Australia special report has claimed.

The Royals in Australia, which is available now to stream for Sky News subscribers, celebrates 70 years of Australian royal tours ahead of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s arrival next Friday.

Tracing Queen Elizabeth II’s historic 1954 visit through to recent tours by the Sussexes and the Prince and Princess of Wales, Sky News host Danica De Giorgio sat down with several leading royal insiders for the report.

Among the revelations, the documentary explores Meghan and Harry’s 2018 tour of Australia shortly after their royal wedding.

The Sussexes toured Australia in conjunction with that year’s Invictus Games in Sydney and made global headlines after Markle revealed her first pregnancy.

In Sydney and Melbourne, huge crowds lined the streets to get a glimpse of the new Duchess of Sussex in scenes reminiscent of then Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s 1983 tour.

According to Daily Mirror royal editor Russell Myers, the newly minted Duke and Duchess of Sussex “gathered a huge level of publicity” which dwarfed a similar tour by Prince William and Princess Catherine.

“Meghan found it quite daunting, she couldn’t believe the amount of people that turned up,” he said.

Meanwhile, royal historian Tim Ewart claimed Meghan’s impact in Australia was “Princess Diana multiplied by two”.

“They loved Australia and Australia responded to them,” he said.

“In those early days of Meghan and Harry, Meghan got an incredible reaction from the public.

“If Diana had been a breath of fresh air, it was Diana multiplied by two for Meghan.”

The Sussexes were reportedly unhappy with the monarchy’s reaction to their success in Australia. Picture by Chris Jackson-Pool/Getty Images.
The Sussexes were reportedly unhappy with the monarchy’s reaction to their success in Australia. Picture by Chris Jackson-Pool/Getty Images.
Despite the rapturous response in Australia, Meghan and Harry reportedly felt they arrived back to Buckingham Palace and got little “praise and recognition” for the tour.

“Australia broke Harry and Meghan and was one of the catalysts for them leaving the royal family,” Mr Myers said.

“She and Harry had expected they would get much more praise and recognition from that royal tour.”

The Sussexes admitted Australia was a “turning point” during their 2021 Oprah Winfrey sit down. Picture Harpo Productions/Joe Pugliese via Getty Images.
The Sussexes admitted Australia was a “turning point” during their 2021 Oprah Winfrey sit down. Picture Harpo Productions/Joe Pugliese via Getty Images.
In their 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview, Meghan and Harry themselves would agree “things really changed” after the Australia tour.

Within 18 months, the Sussexes “stepped back” from royal duties, abandoned their Windsor home Frogmore Cottage and moved to California with baby Archie.

Fellow royal reporter Angela Mollard agreed Meghan’s growing frustration over a perceived lack of praise by the royal family boiled over after Australia.

“She was part of a big institution and she wasn’t the hero of it, she was a cog in the wheel and that became clear (after Australia),” she said.

Stream The Royals in Australia, only available with a SkyNews.com.au Streaming Subscription.