Meghan Markle dismissed her royal title and clarified how she preferred to be addressed on the opening day of her and Prince Harry’s visit to Australia.
The couple were welcomed by hundreds of well-wishers as they launched their Australian tour by embracing patients at a children’s hospital. Harry and Meghan posed for selfies, while Meghan received flowers and a welcome card amid cheers during their visit to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.
Meghan subsequently visited a women’s refuge before reuniting with Harry at a veterans’ museum, all within the first day of their trip Down Under.
Steve Cotterill, the inaugural Australian poet laureate at the Australian National Veterans’ Art Museum, reportedly asked the couple: “How would you like me to address you?”
It appears the pair brushed aside their royal titles, with Harry responding: “However you like” while Meghan replied: “Call me Meg?” The publication further reports that when staff at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne enquired with the couple’s aides about how to address the Sussexes, they were informed: “Harry and Meghan is fine. They’re pretty relaxed.”
Traditionally, male members of the Royal Family are initially addressed as ‘Your Royal Highness’, followed by ‘Sir’, while female members are referred to as ‘Your Royal Highness’, and thereafter ‘Ma’am’. However, following Harry and Meghan’s decision to step down as senior working royals in 2020, they relinquished their HRH titles.
Earlier, Harry and Meghan’s office confirmed the four-day visit would “focus on mental health, community resilience, and support for veterans and their families, alongside private meetings and special projects.”
The couple will also participate in private commercial engagements separate from a programme of public-facing visits. Meghan will be interviewed on stage at a “girls’ weekend” retreat in Sydney, with tickets priced at £1,400 each.
VIP tickets for the event at the five-star InterContinental Coogee Beach hotel are priced at £1,670 and include a group table photo with the duchess.
However, it has now come to light that not all tickets for the event have sold out. Earlier today, the Her Best Life podcast, which is hosting the retreat, posted on its Instagram page that there was “final last minute availability.”
Organisers initially claimed the exclusive event — capped at 300 guests — had sold out, but a post last week suggested otherwise. Taking to Instagram, organisers revealed the hotel had “kindly released a handful of additional rooms”, urging prospective guests to enquire via direct message.
It is understood that attendees must obtain security clearance prior to attending, with the use of mobile phones strictly prohibited.
Meghan’s appearance at the retreat was announced last month by Gemma O’Neill, host of the Her Best Life podcast, which is organising the 300-person event. A previous advertisement for the occasion read: “A girls’ weekend like no other! An unforgettable weekend for women ready to reconnect, recharge and have some serious fun.
Join us for an intimate luxury weekend by the ocean designed to bring women together for powerful conversations, relaxation, laughter and unforgettable experience.” The itinerary is reported to feature yoga sessions, panel discussions, a fireside chat with Meghan and a disco party.