A representative for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has hit back after more the 35,000 Aussies signed a petition calling for their upcoming Australian trip to be self-funded.
The petition was created by a group called Beyond Australia, which called on the Aussie government to ensure no taxpayer funds will be directed towards the ex-royals’ trip, which kicks off in mid-April.
“At a time when Australians are facing rising mortgage stress, increasing energy and petrol prices, and ongoing cost of living pressures, public resources must be applied fairly and without preferential treatment,” the Change.org petition read.
The petition mentioned Harry and Meghan stepping down from royal duties in 2020, saying their separation from the Crown and the Commonwealth means Aussie taxpayers “must not fund security, logistics or government coordination” around their visit.
However, a spokesperson for the couple said the entire thing is a “moot point”, because Harry and Meghan are funding their trip privately.
“So I’m not sure what this petition hopes to achieve,” the Sussexes’ representative told the Daily Mail.
Elaborating further, the spokesperson contrasted the number of petition signees with the overall population of Australia, saying “there are approximately 26.5 million Australians (99.98 per cent of the population) who haven’t signed it”.
The rep went on to slam the “the ridiculousness of this petition as an agenda for spreading misinformation” while reiterating that Harry and Meghan will foot the bill themselves.
There had been questions over how the trip would be funded when state and federal governments declined to confirm who would be responsible for the pair’s security, but the more recent statement from their rep appears to put the kibosh on those concerns.
Harry and Meghan will be in town for what their office described as a “series of private, business, and philanthropic engagements”. It will reportedly be a very short trip, and will mark their first stint Down Under since 2018.
Meghan is confirmed to make a guest appearance in Sydney for Her Best Life, the podcast co-created by Gemma O’Neill and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson.
Lead images: Getty Images
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