Over 35,000 Australians signed a petition demanding that no public funds be directed toward Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s upcoming visit to the country, prompting a sharp response from the couple’s representatives.
The petition, hosted on Change.org and titled “No Taxpayer-Funding or Official Support for Harry & Meghan’s Private Visit to Australia,” was organized by advocacy group Beyond Australia ahead of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s scheduled April arrival.
The campaign calls on the Australian government to refrain from providing taxpayer-funded security, logistical support or any form of official assistance during the couple’s stay.
Beyond Australia posted on the petition page: “The activities are private and commercial and must be treated strictly as a private visit.”
The group also cited economic hardships facing ordinary Australians as a driving motivation behind the effort.
The petition states: “At 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.”
A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex pushed back on Wednesday, declaring the trip would not draw on public money.
He said: “It’s a moot point. The trip is being funded privately, so I’m not sure what this petition hopes to achieve.”
The spokesman also took aim at the petition’s overall significance by pointing to Australia’s much larger population.
He said: “Of 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 per cent of the population) who haven’t signed it, who must therefore agree with the taxpayer picking up the tab for their visit.”
The spokesman added: “Of course, that is another equally stupid assertion to make.”
Despite those assurances, both the Australian federal and state governments had previously declined to confirm who would bear responsibility for the couple’s protection during the visit.
Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, last visited Australia in 2018, at a time when both served as senior working members of the Royal Family.
During that trip, the couple received a police escort and stayed at the Governor-General’s residence overlooking Sydney Harbour.
The couple officially stepped away from senior royal duties in January 2020 and has since operated private commercial ventures from the United States.
The April visit will include separate events in two cities, according to LBC reporting.
Harry is scheduled to serve as a keynote speaker at the InterEdge Psychosocial Safety Summit in Melbourne on April 15 and 16, held at Centrepiece at Melbourne Park.
Meghan is confirmed to appear at the inaugural “Her Best Life Retreat” in Sydney between April 17 and 19.
The Sydney event, described informally as “Meg-stock,” is an all-women luxury gathering expected to accommodate approximately 300 guests across three days.
The event has sold out, with tickets ranging from AUD $2,699 to $3,199 per person.
VIP ticket holders will receive front-row seating and access to a group photograph with Meghan at a gala evening held at the InterContinental Hotel in Sydney.
