Meghan Markle is facing criticism in Australia after guests at awomen's wellness retreat in Sydneyaccused her of delivering a 'ridiculous' two‑hour appearance for tickets costing around $3,000, with the Duchess of Sussex reportedly earning $150,000 for the brief visit.
According to reports, Meghan, 44, arrived at the coastal hotel at about 5pm alongside Harry, 41, on 18 April. She took part in an onstage question‑and‑answer session with the audience, then departed shortly afterwards. Her total time at the retreat was reportedly around two hours.
Guests had paid roughly $3,000 a head to be there. That simple equation – a four‑figure ticket price and a two‑hour royal‑adjacent cameo – became the spark for a wave of anger online.
The reports followed women attending the retreat who had paid up to $3,000 for the weekend package, who began sharing their disappointment online.
'Why did Meghan Markle not even share a meal with women who had paid $3000 to spend "retreat" time with her? How is that kind?' one person wrote.
Another commenter claimed: 'She didn't go down there to spend time with any of those people, just to get a few PR photos and collect her share of the takings.'
The expectation gap was summed up by a user who questioned the event's basic structure. 'Two hours? I thought it was a weekend retreat? WOW!' they posted, adding: 'How ridiculous, they advertised like she was spending the whole weekend with them.'
Under growing criticism, Meghan Markle's representatives issued a statement insisting that the Duchess did exactly what was planned.
'Meghan was always confirmed only to attend the retreat for her Q&A portion of the weekend,' the spokesperson said. 'She had a lovely time sitting down and talking to [retreat host Gemma O'Neill] in front of such an engaging audience.'
Her camp's position is straightforward: she was booked for a single conversation segment, she showed up and she did it.
Source: International Business Times UK
