Harry and Meghan face Aussie backlash as tour turns into TV pitch

0:00 A Calorouga Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Pallas Intrigue. I'm your host. Mark Francis, Prince Harry and Meghan Mikel were reportedly planning to tune their upcoming Australia trip into a filmed project, with claims that cameras will document the visit for a potential new streaming series. According to a report citing sources via rob Shooter, the couple's mid April trip as being positioned as more than a series of appearances, when Inside has said this isn't just a tour. Cameras will be there documenting everything, with the project described as a glossy travel and food documentary highlighting Australia's culture, landscapes and cuisine. The concept has been framed as travel, food and lifestyle, with the source adding it's being pitched as a love letter to Australia. Radar Online caught our attention with the headline Inside Megan Mikael's Oussie Wellness Retreat from Hell organizes business collapses, hotels, broken amenities and washing ashore.

1:02 Radar explains Megan Mark's upcoming appearance at a wellness retreat in Australia as facing scrutiny amid questions about the event's organization and logistics. Her Best Life Retreat, scheduled to take place at the Intercontinental Kogie Beach in Sydney, was announced earlier this month and set to include an appearance by the Duchess of Sussex. Guests were told they would enjoy relaxed time by the pool overlooking Coogie Beach. However, the hotel has indicated that key facilities are not yet open. According to information on the hotel's website, the Leisure Deck, featuring the ocean facing Infinity Edge swimming pool, poolside bar, outdoor event terrace, a lever, spa and club Intercontinental is not scheduled to open until sometime in April, making it unclear whether those amenities will be available during the retreat.

1:51 They have also been broader concerns raised about the surrounding area. Reports note that the so called pooh balls have washed up along Sydney beaches in recent years, described by scientists as a combination of cooking, oil, soap and human excrement. Attention has also turned to the events organizer, Jemma O'Neill. Reports indicate her business, the Jemmy Agency, went into voluntary liquidation in November of twenty twenty five. It has also been reported that she informed administrators she was unable to repay outstanding tax debt, citing limited income and financial challenges. Details about the retreat itself have also drawn discussion. Promotional material for higher tier packages includes seating at a table in front of two rows for the gala dinner with Megan, Duchess of Sussex, as well as a group table photo with Megan, Duchess of Sussex. The event is scheduled to go ahead in April, with Megan expected to appear as part of the program. It is unclear if the Pooh Balls on the Beach will make it into the rumored documentary.

2:50 In The Express, Chris Riches writes, Meghan and Harry are about to find out what Ozzies really think of them. It won't be pretty. According to Richards, Prince Harry and Meghani think they will get a red carpet as welcomed royals when they arrived down Under, but they could be heading into the hornet's nest covered in sticky honey. If ever, there was a time for one of their faux royals to jet into a country that's expressed the desire to ax Andrew mount Batten Windsor from the line of succession. It's not now. Playing the victim of the institution behind the monarchy was a novel story for a while, but it's worn thin of late, and Harry and Meghan are finding future revenue streams in shorter supply now. They seem to want to revert to traveling the world, representing the Crown, posing with sick children and meeting ambassadors. The trouble is they aren't working royals. What they are is a useful lightning rod for all those sparked into anger at the actions of Andrew and Fergie. Sky News Australia announced that Meghan ticket event under the headline desperate for relevance. They also use the words utterly nauseating. So if Harry and Meghan think the red carpet will be dusted off for them down Under, just like in twenty eighteen, and their faces will be beamed into airs, they may be in for a shock. As Talk TVs Mark Dolan somewhat harshly put it, the reason why it went that well in twenty eighteen is because they didn't know Meghan Markel very well they know her now, and what do they know her to be? A gold digging grifter. A change dot org petition has gathered more than ten thousand signatures arguing

4:20 that the couple should be treated strictly as private individuals. It states that Australian taxpayers should not be responsible for covering costs such as security, logistics or any form of official coordination. The tone of the campaign is notably blunt, with promotional imagery carrying the message we don't want you here. Meghan is reportedly planning a cautious return to podcasting during the Australia trip, using the visit as a testing ground for future audio projects. According to a report citing sources, the Duchess of Sussex is expected to make a guest appearance on her Best Life podcast while in Australia. One inside has said the expectation is that Megan Markel will cautiously step back into the podcasting arena, rather than launching a full project straight away. The idea is for her to appear as a guest on an established show while she is there and gauge the reaction. We can tell Megan what the reaction will be right now, she's going to be mocked. The source added that the strategy is to dip her toe back into podcasting without committing to anything major, using a guest spot to reconnect with listeners and reintroduce herself into that space while keeping the pressure relatively low. The Australia trip itself is seen as a key part of that strategy, and inside It described it as the perfect stage due to the expected media attention, saying the visit would naturally amplify that visibility and help remind audiences that podcasting is still something she intends to pursue.

5:45 Longer term plans reportedly include reviving Megan's own podcast, but sources suggest the approach will be gradual. If the guest appearance lands well and generates the kind of interest they are hoping for. The idea is that it could become the first step toward reviving her own podcast, pros one source said, describing it as a soft relaunch. One podcast industry executive told Pallace intrigue, how many failed podcasts does she need to do before companies stop writing checks. Meghan previously hosted Archetypes, which launched in twenty twenty two, and later Confessions of a female founder which is currently on hiatus and our script has hiatus. In quotes that said, we welcome Meghan back to podcasting as it easily fills two episodes for us, one with our recaps of what she says, which saves you the trouble of listening to her, and then the next day reaction pieces. We can assure you those episodes do very well for us, So Meghan, please resume podcasting more in just a moment, please check out Deep Crown. He's our royal insider here at Pallas Intrigue and a veteran observer of the British royal family, devoted admirer of the late Queen, a cautious friend to the institution, and a man who writes about it all of the time, with a Canada that the Palace Press Office would almost certainly prefer he kept to himself. He contributes regularly to this podcast and he publishes a newsletter on substack where the Deeper Analysis lives. Free dispatches come out to all subscribers. And if you want more Deep Crown and based on our inbox, you do search Deep

7:16 Crown on substack, google Deep Crown, or find the link in Today's episode notes it's deep crown on substack. In The Times, Shane Watson took a look at the part of the Variety article which suggested Meghan talks over Harry. Watson writes their behavior has once again come under the spotlight in virtual and in person meetings with partners. Variety reports Meghan tends to talk over or recast Prince Harry's thoughts, sometimes while he is mid sentence, sources say, usually preceded by a touch to the arm or thigh. Don't you just love the use of the word recast. Yes, we see it comes from the word salad impulse, as well as from Meghan's need to control not just the narrative but everything. Meghan's lawyer says this recasting assertion seems calculated to play into the misogynistic characterization of bossing her husband around, And yes, it certainly does seem that way unless you saw Harry and Meghan's first TV interview immediately after the announcement of their engagement, when we knew from twenty seconds in that henceforth, she was doing all the talking and all the thinking and all the planning for both of them, for better or worse, For richer or poorer. Meghan was mocked online after posting an Instagram video in which he appeared wearing a wie black headband and a Kashmir turtleneck, prompting comparisons to Carolyn Bassett Kennedy. Critics suggested she was cosplaying CBK was pointing to the timing, alongside renewed interest in Bassett's style from a current FX series. In the video,

8:47 filmed in Montecito, Meghan has seen arranging pale, pink flowers, while a voice believed to be Harry says it's so beautiful. It's so pretty and pink. The look marked a shift from her usual hairstyle, with the headband drawing immediate attention. Online reaction on social media was sharply critical. One user wrote, now she is in her CBK era black headband and turtle nick cashmere really groundbreaking. Another said, oh, look at Carol Nbassett style headband. She is a ghoul using the dead for attention again. Others piled on with comments like anyone else clocked the CBK headband to eye roll and oh god, she's started in on the headband. The video was part of a broader burst of Instagram activity for Megan, including clips of her daughter a little Bit, chasing chickens, picking flowers, and sharing a book of poetry about motherhood, despite ongoing criticism that the couple seeks privacy and the Variety article and the Bower book and the Australia trip and the habit. If you like to email us addresses the Palace intrig at gmail dot com, please followus on Spotify, Apple or the app of your choice. I'm Mark Francis.

9:50 Thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue and good terms