Is the criticism of Harry and Meghan's Australia tour unfair?
About this episode
The episode discusses the criticism faced by Harry and Meghan during their Australia tour, exploring themes of charity and commercialism.
Was Harry and Meghan's trip to Australia really "a cash-grabbing, money-making exercise"? This week, the Talking Politics team discuss whether the Sussexes tour Down Under felt uncomfortable, due to the combination of charitable and commercial opportunities. Harry and Meghan kicked off the visit by dropping into a hospital in Melbourne, where they met sick children, their families and medical staff. Meghan then served up a meal in the kitchen of a women's shelter, while Prince Harry honoured fallen veterans. In a surprise move, the Duchess also appeared on Australian Masterchef as a guest judge. But, the couple have come under scrutiny in the local media for using Australia as "an ATM". Notably, the Duchess of Sussex appeared at a female-only wellness retreat in Sydney, where tickets started at A$2,699 (£1,430) per person. So if other non-working royals like Zara and Mike Tindall can exploit commercial opportunities, shouldn't the Sussexes be able to use the same model? And why does Meghan get criticised for wearing expensive clothes, while Kate is praised for the doing the same?
People in this episode
Host: ITV News
Topics covered
- royal family
- media criticism
- charity vs commercialism
- public perception
- celebrity culture
Keywords
- Harry
- Meghan
- Australia tour
- media scrutiny
- charitable activities
- commercial opportunities
- public perception
- royal family
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Australian Masterchef
Places: Australia, Melbourne, Sydney
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