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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are headed to Australia — and this could turn out to be her jam’s jam.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are due to carry out a series of engagements tied to their business and charitable interests in April.
On what is technically a private trip to Melbourne and Sydney, the stakes are higher than they’ve been in years.
Ahead of their arrival, it’s been revealed that Meghan has everything in place to launch her highly anticipated As Ever lifestyle range Down Under.
For a couple who have struggled to find stable footing in both the UK and the US, Australia remains the one market where they could still prove to be a genuine success.
Here’s why the Aussie market is primed for their comeback — and why this visit matters more than any they’ve made since stepping back from royal life.
We want the jam
When those first jars of strawberry jam hit the internet in April 2025, Australian shoppers were left staring at empty carts.
Shipping was restricted to the US, creating a frenzied sense that the rest of us were missing out on something special.
Now that her As Ever partnership with Netflix has wrapped, Meghan is finally free to take her brand global. And she’s wasting no time.
Ahead of landing in Oz, Meghan has trademarked her label locally, covering everything from flower sprinkles and shortbread to tea and wine.
According to Australian intellectual property office records, her application was accepted in June 2025 under the description “fancy”, suggesting she’s had months to prepare for a major launch.
And the timing is no accident. The VIP package for the Her Best Life retreat — the very event Meghan is flying to Sydney for — includes “an exclusive VIP goodie bag.”
It doesn’t take a royal correspondent to connect the dots. Those women are almost certainly going to be the first in the country to get their hands on As Ever products.
It is a soft launch that will hit hard for everyone who missed out.
Though, honestly? It’s pretty hard to keep holding a grudge against someone once they’ve handed you something sweet.
A lifestyle that actually lands here
Beyond the jam jars, if Meghan wants to sell a lifestyle, Australia is one of the few places where her aesthetic genuinely lands.
With its clean lines and neutral palette, As Ever is perfectly pitched to a certain set in our country that is obsessed with coastal minimalism, clean living and artisanal food.
One leading Australian fashion editor told me that Meghan has “impeccable taste” and has been buying what she recommends since the Suits star ran her lifestyle blog, The Tig.
And unlike the US, where the lifestyle space is oversaturated (think GOOP), or the UK, where Meghan’s every commercial move is met with suspicion, Australia offers a rare middle ground.
We are a market that is both curious and lucrative.
No extra baggage needed
Since they left Britain to start a new life abroad, the Sussexes’ popularity has plummeted back home. In the US, the novelty has worn off, too.
But Australians simply don’t hold a grudge for long. And we love a redemption story.
For their 2018 royal tour, thousands of Australians turned out to see the newlyweds. Those fans haven’t disappeared — they’re just waiting for the couple to give them something to love again.
Yes, Harry and Meghan have a complicated history with Australia. Courtiers author Valentine Low claimed the duchess was overheard complaining about a walkabout Down Under, saying, “I can’t believe I’m not getting paid for this.”
However, our relationship with the royals has always been a little murky. We can adore them and roll our eyes at them at the same time.
What matters is that Aussies don’t feel personally betrayed by Megxit. As long as they aren’t bashing William and Kate the whole trip, Australians will be happy to give them a fair hearing.
That’s the real opportunity Australia offers. We aren’t weighed down by the emotional baggage that follows the Sussexes elsewhere. They are free to leave it back in Montecito.
Harry still has goodwill in Oz
It’s easy to forget with the drama of the past few years, that Harry has always been genuinely popular in Australia.
His military service, his connection to the Invictus Games and his easy, larrikin charm resonate with Australians who prefer their royals a little less stiff.
Invictus remains one of his strongest calling cards. Australians understand the value of the Games, and they respect the hard work and ethos behind them.
With Invictus Australia announcing a bid to host the Games in 2031, this visit could be the first step in a long-term Sussex–Australia relationship.
If Harry leans into that legacy — rather than the grievance‑laden narrative that has dominated his recent public life — he’ll find an audience ready to reconnect.
A visit without the royal price tag
Australians love royals — we just don’t like paying for them. It’s one of the reasons Queen Mary of Denmark continues to resonate so deeply.
Over 35,000 Australians have thrown their support behind a petition calling for no taxpayer funds to be used for the Sussexes’ visit during the cost‑of‑living crisis.
And here’s the good news: they aren’t working royals anymore, so we aren’t paying for it.
Even their spokesperson has confirmed the trip won’t cost the public a cent, calling the debate a “moot point”.
This time, we get the spectacle without the bill. Unless you’re buying a ticket to attend one of their speaking events, the Sussexes are entirely user‑pays.
And that clears the way for something rare: a royal‑adjacent visit that Australians can simply sit back, watch and enjoy.
Australia won’t magically solve the Sussexes’ global image problem. But it is the one place where the slate is cleaner, the expectations are lower and the appetite for a comeback is real.
If Harry and Meghan are ever going to prove they can thrive outside the royal machine, this is their moment. And Australia is the stage where they have the best chance of pulling it off.
Read more expert opinion and analysis in WHO’s The Royal Verdict with Kylie Walters here.
