April 13, 2026

Harry and Meghan in Australia - Harry Ticket Trouble and Meghan’s Retreat Questions Mount

Show Notes
Transcript

Prince Harry faces awkward optics as ticket prices for his upcoming mental health appearance reportedly drop, raising fresh questions about audience demand. Meanwhile, scrutiny builds around Meghan Markle’s Sydney wellness retreat, with reports suggesting unsold seats, unusual booking practices, and a journalist allegedly refunded after being identified. We also hear a firsthand account from inside the retreat experience, plus new claims that Hollywood may be calling Meghan back to acting in a big way.

Get episodes of Palace Intrigue by becommming a paid subscriber on Apple Podcasts. Click the button that says uninterrupted listening. Just $5 a month, and that includes many ofther shows on the Caloroga Shark network.

A new season of King William is available now.

Our royal newsletter written by Deep Crown is available for free.

Royal Books:

Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors by Tom Bower

William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story

The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess Diana

WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:10.839
Ah calorogus Shark Media that hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue.

2
00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:13.560
I am your host, Mark ranswers. In The Express, Rebecca

3
00:00:13.640 --> 00:00:16.280
Russell writes under the headline Prince Harry's had just been

4
00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:20.160
given a huge slap round the face. He's been totally exposed,

5
00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:23.480
Russell tells us, would you believe it? There is apparently

6
00:00:23.480 --> 00:00:25.640
a limit to how much money people will pay to

7
00:00:25.640 --> 00:00:28.199
be lectured on the ins and outs of workplace wellness

8
00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:30.399
by a man who hasn't held a nine to five

9
00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:33.840
job in his entire life. Who'd thought while the Duke

10
00:00:33.880 --> 00:00:36.759
is said to speak about workplace mental health a noble

11
00:00:36.840 --> 00:00:39.640
and worthy cause, a world where, just sixty years on

12
00:00:39.759 --> 00:00:43.000
from his bombshell decision to leave the Royal family, he

13
00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:45.479
has already seen ticket prices for his event dropped by

14
00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:49.719
fifty percent. Must be galling back. When the golden halo

15
00:00:49.759 --> 00:00:51.960
of their weddings still hung heavy around their heads, he

16
00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:54.799
and Megan swept through Australia like rock stars embarking on

17
00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:57.600
a world tour. They had just announced they were expecting

18
00:00:57.640 --> 00:00:59.880
their first baby, and were mobbed by thousands. Upon the

19
00:01:00.039 --> 00:01:03.799
thousands of adoring fans in every direction, they turned Oh,

20
00:01:03.840 --> 00:01:06.799
how the tables have turned back In twenty twenty, the

21
00:01:06.840 --> 00:01:08.959
world was curious about this couple. We wanted to know

22
00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:11.879
what happened behind the palace gates. We wanted the behind

23
00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:13.799
the scenes details, and to hear where the source of

24
00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:16.200
their venom had come from. We sat on the edge

25
00:01:16.200 --> 00:01:19.959
of our seats for the Netflix documentary. We bought the memoir.

26
00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:22.120
But the problem with being curious, of course, is that

27
00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:25.239
it runs out just as quickly as it is peaked.

28
00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:28.079
Once the vitriol has been spouted and the a grievance

29
00:01:28.120 --> 00:01:31.200
is laid bare several times, and in every single medium possible,

30
00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:33.560
you're left with a person who is actually speaking. And

31
00:01:33.640 --> 00:01:35.400
it doesn't matter if that person is a prince or

32
00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:38.200
a pauper. If they have nothing of substance to say,

33
00:01:38.680 --> 00:01:41.599
they're exposed. And of course the irony of the whole

34
00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:44.840
situation is reaching Shakespearean levels now, as the notion of

35
00:01:44.840 --> 00:01:47.959
Harry speaking at a psychosocial safety summit as someone who

36
00:01:47.959 --> 00:01:50.200
has spent the last six years on a scorched earth

37
00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:54.480
campaign against his own family is quite the choice. At

38
00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:56.319
the time of this recording, it appeared that a significant

39
00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:59.319
number of seats may still be available for Megan's wellness retreat,

40
00:01:59.359 --> 00:02:03.640
despite early messaging that the allocation had been exhausted. According

41
00:02:03.640 --> 00:02:07.280
to a report in Radar Online, a prospective attendee claims

42
00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:09.639
they were able to add large numbers of tickets to

43
00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:13.400
an online cart, with a total value approaching one hundred

44
00:02:13.479 --> 00:02:17.919
thousand dollars before the system capped the purchase. One account

45
00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:20.120
quoted in the article said I was able to put

46
00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:22.000
a lot of tickets in my cart before it said not.

47
00:02:22.120 --> 00:02:25.680
Another available screenshots referenced in the report appeared to show

48
00:02:25.719 --> 00:02:29.599
a combination of VIP tickets being added, suggesting that dozens

49
00:02:29.599 --> 00:02:32.199
of places may still have been open at the time

50
00:02:32.199 --> 00:02:35.000
of the test. The event, which is scheduled to take

51
00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:38.479
place at the Intercontinental Koogie Beach in Sydney, is expected

52
00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:42.360
to host around three hundred attendees, with ticket prices ranging

53
00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:46.960
from roughly nineteen hundred to twenty three hundred dollars. We'll

54
00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:49.000
do a longer than usual extract for this next one

55
00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:52.080
because the story is so fascinating. Writing for seven News,

56
00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:56.240
arian at Pozski says I paid twenty seven hundred dollars

57
00:02:56.280 --> 00:02:59.039
to see Meghan, Duchess Sussex speak at a Sydney retreat.

58
00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:02.520
Then they found out I'm a journalist. I knew spending

59
00:03:02.520 --> 00:03:04.479
twenty seven hundred dollars to share a hotel room with

60
00:03:04.520 --> 00:03:07.599
a stranger for the chance to hear Megan speak was

61
00:03:07.719 --> 00:03:11.280
on paper, a mildly unhinged decision. What I didn't expect

62
00:03:11.319 --> 00:03:14.159
was that after inviting me, taking my money, and welcoming

63
00:03:14.199 --> 00:03:17.240
me to the weekend, the organizers of Her Best Life

64
00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:21.240
would abruptly refund me the moment they realized I'm a journalist.

65
00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:25.039
Only three hundred women. The marketing promised a luxury weekend

66
00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:29.560
by the Ocean, Garland dinners, yoga, sound healing, cocktails, disco,

67
00:03:29.639 --> 00:03:33.400
poolside downtime, and of course, the main event, Meghan. So

68
00:03:33.479 --> 00:03:35.879
when I registered my interest and received to reply saying

69
00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:38.319
spaces were limited, but they'd be in touch soon if

70
00:03:38.319 --> 00:03:40.319
we have a spot with your name on it, it all

71
00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:43.520
felt very curated and coveted. Then came the email that

72
00:03:43.560 --> 00:03:47.280
tipped it from curiosity into commitment. You're invited. A member

73
00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:50.039
of Her Best Life team told me Jemma O'Neill would

74
00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:52.280
absolutely love for me to join, and that a spot

75
00:03:52.319 --> 00:03:54.599
had been reserved under my name. All I had to

76
00:03:54.599 --> 00:03:57.479
do was confirm and they'd send through a private payment link.

77
00:03:57.960 --> 00:04:02.280
I'll admit I was a bit suspicious. The tone was warm, intimate, familiar,

78
00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:04.919
the private link, the urgency, the fact that it had

79
00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:08.360
supposedly gone to junk for a couple of people for

80
00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:12.080
nearly three thousand dollars. Skepticism felt less like paranoia and

81
00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:15.080
more like common sense. So I did what any journalist

82
00:04:15.080 --> 00:04:18.199
would do, even when booking something for personal reasons. I

83
00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:22.079
checked everything. The payment portal traced back to her best life,

84
00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:26.639
the branding matched the sender details and lined it was legitimate. Still,

85
00:04:26.680 --> 00:04:29.560
one detail gave me pause. The standard twenty seven hundred

86
00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:33.639
dollar ticket meant twin share accommodation with a stranger for

87
00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:36.800
a retreat soldiers luxury. The idea of spending what is

88
00:04:36.839 --> 00:04:40.240
for many Sydney Siders more than a fortnight's pay only

89
00:04:40.279 --> 00:04:43.160
to potentially share a room with someone you've never met

90
00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:47.439
felt more white Lotus than corporate team building with silk pillowcases.

91
00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:51.040
When I asked whether solo rooms were available, I was

92
00:04:51.079 --> 00:04:53.680
told there were two options by two tickets, to have

93
00:04:53.720 --> 00:04:56.680
the room to myself or be paired with another fabulous

94
00:04:56.680 --> 00:05:00.160
solo woman from the community, where I was assured the

95
00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:04.920
magic happens. The subtext was clear, surrender to the experience,

96
00:05:05.519 --> 00:05:08.199
So I did. I paid the twenty seven hundred dollars

97
00:05:08.199 --> 00:05:11.639
standard experience ticket, received confirmation and was told we can't

98
00:05:11.639 --> 00:05:14.720
wait to meet you, and for a moment I believed them.

99
00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:17.439
The retreat itself was sold as the ultimate women's weekend

100
00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:21.759
away at the new Intercontinental Sydney Coogie Beach, two nights,

101
00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:26.360
luxury accommodation, breakfast, lunch at gala, dinner with alcohol, wellness

102
00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:31.079
programming at Disco celebration, and the headline session with Megan there.

103
00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:35.000
It was wrapped up in fantasy packaging. Then just before Easter,

104
00:05:35.079 --> 00:05:38.160
another email landed. The countdown was on. I was told

105
00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:40.319
less than three weeks to go. The team had been

106
00:05:40.360 --> 00:05:43.959
working tirelessly behind the scenes to prepare every detail, but

107
00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:47.319
for security requirements, the fullight itinerary would only be shared

108
00:05:47.399 --> 00:05:52.319
after the long weekend. That line stopped me security requirements

109
00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:56.360
for what exactly a wellness retreat a Megan fireside chat.

110
00:05:57.040 --> 00:05:59.519
By now I had nearly three thousand dollars floating in

111
00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:03.240
the ether and still no proper itinerary, tax invoice or

112
00:06:03.480 --> 00:06:07.879
clarity around logistics. Security has long been a sensitive issue

113
00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:10.000
for the pair since stepping back from royal duties in

114
00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:12.839
twenty twenty, with Prince Harry previously saying he does not

115
00:06:12.959 --> 00:06:15.639
feel safe returning to the UK due to threats against

116
00:06:15.639 --> 00:06:19.399
his family. I asked for a tax invoice. That was

117
00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:22.839
the moment everything changed. Instead of an invoice, I got

118
00:06:22.839 --> 00:06:25.480
a phone call attempt, followed by an email that Bland

119
00:06:25.560 --> 00:06:28.759
sided me. They had become aware that I work in media,

120
00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:32.040
and because this was a closed door experience, they were

121
00:06:32.040 --> 00:06:35.199
no longer able to offer me access. My ticket would

122
00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:39.600
be refunded in full, more powace in just a moment.

123
00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:46.040
Megan is reportedly receiving a surge of interest from Hollywood

124
00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:49.639
studios amid renewed speculation that you could return to acting.

125
00:06:50.319 --> 00:06:52.519
According to a report in Page six, a senior Los

126
00:06:52.560 --> 00:06:56.480
Angeles casting agent claims the Duchess has been bombarded with

127
00:06:56.560 --> 00:06:59.279
offers in recent weeks, following comments from a former co

128
00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:03.279
star suggests she may be planning a comeback. The agent

129
00:07:03.399 --> 00:07:06.199
said Megan has been the hottest talking point in Hollywood

130
00:07:06.199 --> 00:07:08.879
circles in the last couple of weeks. The very suggestion

131
00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:11.120
that she is planning to come back to acting has

132
00:07:11.319 --> 00:07:13.439
prompted interests the likes I have never seen in my

133
00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:16.879
three decades in the business. According to the reports, studios

134
00:07:16.879 --> 00:07:19.319
and production companies are said to be exploring a wide

135
00:07:19.399 --> 00:07:23.959
range of opportunities, including romantic comedies, dramas, sitcoms, and even

136
00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:27.839
soap operas. The source said offers for leading roles and

137
00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:31.319
development proposals have flooded in. We are talking purveyors of

138
00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:34.560
genres including rom coms, drama, sitcoms, and even soap operas.

139
00:07:34.839 --> 00:07:38.920
Everyone wants to be in the conversation. Meghan has followed

140
00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:41.360
through a lighthearted promise to her Format Suits co star

141
00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:44.399
Patrick j Adams, sending him the selection of products from

142
00:07:44.439 --> 00:07:47.120
her as Ever lifestyle brand after he joked about being

143
00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:50.600
left out. He wrote, worth the wait. Thank you Meghan

144
00:07:50.600 --> 00:07:53.519
for the deliciousness and not Skinny but Not Fat podcasts

145
00:07:53.560 --> 00:07:57.800
for helping raise awareness about my jamlessness. Yeah, there you

146
00:07:57.800 --> 00:08:00.160
have it. In fact, email us addresses the Palasy Trig

147
00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:02.839
at gmail dot com. Please follow us Spotify, Apple or

148
00:08:02.839 --> 00:08:05.199
the Apple of your choice. I'm Mark Francis my thanks

149
00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:08.680
to John McDermott. This is Pallas Intrigue and good terms

Harry and Meghan in Australia - Harry Ticket Trouble and Meghan’s Retreat Questions Mount

Listen On

Recent Episodes