Previously undisclosed information about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s upcoming journey to Australia has surfaced, thanks to a leaked document obtained by the Mail.
The ‘Operational Planning Notes,’ shared with select media outlets and penned by the couple’s new PR head, Liam Maguire, outline an itinerary that includes stops in Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney. The document notably assures that Australian taxpayers will not be funding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s visit.
In a surprising move, Mr. Maguire, a military veteran and longtime friend of Harry, utilized the briefing to respond to the couple’s ‘critics.’
Although Harry and Meghan have ceased representing the British monarchy since relocating to California in 2020, their visit to Australia bears a striking resemblance to a royal tour.
The couple plans to make joint appearances that emphasize support for veterans and mental health. This includes visiting a children’s hospital and participating in an Invictus Australia event at Sydney Harbour.
Meghan is also set to make a solo visit to a women’s homelessness shelter, while Harry will engage with an AFL club in Melbourne and attend a rugby union match in Sydney.
Harry is also expected to make a brief visit to Canberra without his wife.
The Mail is not disclosing specific details of dates and times outlined in the operational notes for security reasons.
Harry and Meghan’s slate of Aussie adventures begins next Tuesday in Melbourne. (The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pictured in Melbourne during the royal tour in October 2018)
The couple will set sail on Sydney Harbour as part of their connection to Invictus Australia
On their 2018 Melbourne visit, sporty Harry learned the basics of Australian Rules Football
Notably, the official four-day itinerary, starting next Tuesday, does not include Meghan’s appearance at the ‘Her Best Life’ retreat at the InterContinental Hotel in Sydney’s Coogee Beach, which runs from April 17-19.
According to a source, this indicates that the Sussexes are keeping ‘pseudo royal’ engagements separate from Meghan’s latest commercial foray into the lifestyle world.
Tacked to the end of Mr Maguire’s document is a ‘Q&A’ for media, which appears to be his attempt to get ahead of thorny enquiries expected from journalists.
An anticipatory question reads, ‘Critics say this is a publicity tour; how do you respond?’
The waspish response: ‘The programme is rooted in long-standing areas of work for the Duke and Duchess, with a clear focus on amplifying organisations delivering measurable impact.
‘The visit prioritises listening, learning and supporting communities rather than promotion.’
The document explained that Meghan, 44, and Harry, 41, were travelling Down Under after being ‘invited to Australia by a number of groups’.
Mr Maguire insisted the visit was being ‘privately funded’, ending speculation over whether the Australian taxpayer would be footing the bill.
Meghan made a valiant attempt at mastering the sport’s handball motion in 2018. Interestingly, her much-publicised attendance this month at the ‘Her Best Life’ retreat in Coogee does not feature on the official itinerary, likely because it is a private venture
Walkabouts are off the agenda for this visit due to security constraints
It was also confirmed that the Sussexes would not be undertaking traditional ‘walkabouts’ – where members of the Royal Family greet their subjects in public – ‘due to the security costs of keeping public order’.
Despite the itinerary appearing to mirror previous official royal engagements, fans will be disappointed not to see Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, in person.
In the Q&A section, there is the question, ‘Will the children be travelling with the Duke and Duchess?’, alongside the answer, ‘No’.
Royal watchers will remember that one of the most iconic moments of Prince William and Princess Catherine’s tour of Australia in 2014 was their then one-year-old son Prince George’s adorable meeting with a bilby at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo.
Despite the Sussexes’ historically frosty relationship with the media, their PR chief has gone on a charm offensive, encouraging journalists to contact him via WhatsApp.
In December, Mr Maguire was described as the couple’s newly appointed chief communications officer and a long-term ally who is said to want to focus on their global status.
He has been working with the King’s second son for more than a decade and was previously the Sussexes’ comms director for the UK and Europe.
Prince George shared an iconic moment with a bilby on Prince William’s royal tour in 2014
The couple’s newly minted PR boss Liam Maguire is helming the tour Down Under
The father of two was deputy to their former global PR chief Meredith Maines and had been focused on Harry’s work, having first joined forces on the Invictus Games in 2014.
But following Ms Maines’s exit, Mr Maguire was asked to step up as chief of communications for both the Duke and Duchess.
He splits his time between London and his family home in Cornwall and works with a team in California, where the Sussexes live.
Mr Maguire’s most high-profile involvement with the couple was in July when Ms Maines joined him at a London private members’ club to meet the King’s communications secretary Tobyn Andreae for secret talks revealed by The Mail on Sunday.
The publication of the photographs is claimed to have angered the Sussexes, but the talks appeared to help bring Harry and Charles back together as they briefly met in September during the Duke’s visit to the UK following a period of estrangement.
Harry and Meghan last visited Australia in 2018, when Meghan was pregnant with Archie, on an official tour on behalf of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
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