Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially landed in Australia on April 14th for their four-day faux royal tour, mixing charitable and professional appearances. And as expected, the trip has been met with controversy throughout!
One issue that sparked backlash was the former Suits actress charging outlandish prices for her luxury retreat, only for people to discover that many of the tickets were actually unsold. Yikes!
Another centered around the mom-of-two trademarking her As Ever brand ahead of their visit, as critics claimed she was monetizing her royal title and status – something the late Queen Elizabeth II actively frowned upon.
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Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Slammed For Visiting Children's Hospital In Melbourne
Another moment that has angered people online is the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's trip to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne on their first day Down Under, as social media users accused them of promoting themselves rather than acting out of genuine concern.
One critic wrote on X alongside a video: "Dumbo & Bimbo have made young oncology patients line up in the foyer with all their medical equipment just so the duo can get some positive publicity. This is horrible. Those poor kids being used for publicity is sickening."
The hospital was opened by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1963, and was also visited by King Charles and the late Princess Diana in 1985. Prince Harry and Meghan spoke to some of the children in the hospital, shook hands, and posed for photographs – but the internet couldn't shake the feeling that their appearance was rooted in self-promotion.
This isn't the first time they have faced backlash for something like this, either. Who can forget the criticism they received for attempting to help some of the victims of the L.A. fires but were accused of using the tragedy for publicity?
Internet Reactions
Social media was full of people questioning the safety of the meeting, as many of the patients were immunocompromised. Some claimed that the With Love, Meghan star will never be the late Princess Diana, while others slammed both Prince Harry and Meghan as grifters using the trip to promote themselves rather than acting for genuine reasons. Many argued that if their intentions were sincere, there wouldn't be cameras present...
"If Dumbo and Bimbo wanted to visit those sick children, they should have gone to their wards, to their beds, not parade them around like they are in a circus in front of the world media. It's disgusting," slammed one X user in the comments of the earlier post. "They also don't know what a private visit means. This is a circus just to give themselves free PR," declared a second.
"Diana went to their beds and often went to hospitals when no one knew she would be there. No cameras. Meghan will never be Diana," noted a third. "Disgraceful. Surely a health risk for children who are receiving treatment to be huddled together in a room with other sick children, parents, staff and two grifters who've just arrived from overseas, in close proximity and with no face coverings? Who on earth agreed to this?" asked a fourth.
A fifth echoed: "Sick children shouldn't be out in large crowds. So disgusting they did all of this for a photo op." "Unwell children belong on their wards… this gathering in the foyer is downright disgusting," agreed a sixth. "For shame. If the grifters wanted to 'see' children, why didn't they visit them in their rooms, suitably gowned and masked, with no photographers?" asked a seventh.
"They are just grifters using others to glorify and enrich themselves. Sickening," criticized an eighth, as a ninth said: "I think it's absolutely horrendous they are using these poor sick [kids] as props. Horrible." A tenth concurred: "Poor kids. To be used like this is grotesque." "Wrong on so many levels," added an eleventh.
