Harry and Meghan have landed in Australia for a four-day tour covering Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, but many Australians appear unimpressed by their arrival amid a taxpayer security controversy
Harry and Meghan have arrived in Australia for a four-day visit encompassing Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney – yet numerous Australians seem either underwhelmed or completely oblivious to their presence.
The pair travelled on Qantas flight QF94 from Los Angeles, touching down at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport at 6.38am on Tuesday. They were greeted by a private convoy and escorted through a VIP exit, reports the Express.
The programme focuses on issues dear to the Sussexes – veterans, children’s welfare, mental health and sport – though the schedule includes no public walkabouts, with organisers pointing to security considerations and the expense of maintaining public order.
That choice may prove less significant than anticipated. Vox pop interviews carried out with Sydney locals indicated the visit has sparked minimal enthusiasm amongst residents.
“They are very much about self-promotion. They are probably my least favourite royals, let’s put it that way,” one man told the BBC.
“I really think they need to step up and do more for the general public and finish this ongoing feud with their family, which is to be honest becoming pretty boring.”
The same man noted the visit had scarcely featured in Australian media coverage: “I wasn’t aware they were coming to Australia at all. I haven’t seen anything on the news.”
A woman interviewed nearby proved even more scathing: “Can I be honest and tell you I really don’t think of them at all,” she said.
A third simply asked: “I don’t know why they are coming.”
The visit has not been without its fair share of controversy. Over 46,000 people have put their names to a petition demanding that no public funds be used towards the couple’s security costs.
A spokesperson for the Sussexes initially brushed off the concern as “a moot point,” insisting the trip was privately funded – however authorities in New South Wales and Victoria subsequently confirmed that taxpayers would indeed be contributing to at least a portion of the security operation.
The contrast with their previous Australian visit in 2018 is striking. That trip, an official royal tour shortly after their wedding, attracted warm crowds and enthusiastic public receptions. This time around, however, the welcome has been noticeably more subdued.
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