Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s taxpayer-funded trip Down Under has sparked further backlash after the Duchess of Sussex fled a weekend retreat event after just two hours, despite fans paying more than $3,000 to spend time with her.
The 44-year-old made an appearance at the Her Best Life retreat, where she was reportedly paid $150,000 to attend, held at the InterContinental in beachside Coogee on Friday.
Markle spent around two hours with attendees before leaving the event in a waiting Range Rover with her husband Prince Harry.
The couple then attended a Super Rugby match at Allianz Stadium, which began at 7.30pm, arriving just in time for kick-off.
Standard tickets to the “luxury” retreat cost $2,699, while a “VIP experience” – which included a “group table photo” with the duchess – sold for $3,199.
Although Markle was only scheduled to attend a portion of the event, the high ticket prices for a 120-minute appearance drew criticism.
“Why did Meghan Markle not even share a meal with women who had paid $3,000 to spend ‘retreat’ time with her?” one person wrote on social media, as reported by Page Six.
“She disappeared before dinner and spent longer at the rugby, where she ate classic footy fare.
“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,” another claimed.
“How ridiculous – they advertised like she was spending the whole weekend with them,” a third added.
Another wrote: “2 hours? I thought it was a weekend retreat? WOW!”
However, a PR representative for Markle responded to the backlash, saying her appearance at the retreat was always planned to be limited.
“Meghan was always confirmed only to attend the retreat for her Q&A portion of the weekend,” Markle’s rep told Page Six in a statement.
“She had a lovely time sitting down and talking to Gemma in front of such an engaging audience.”
Other fans shed a more positive light on the event, with some saying Meghan’s warmth was “incredibly beautiful to witness”.
“Meghan’s style, tone and warmth was just incredibly beautiful to witness. Some of the key messages and take away were so powerful,” one person commented on Her Best Life’s Instagram post.
“Incredible interview,” wrote another.
A third wrote: “Wow!! Such a beautiful event. Love them so much.”
Friday marked the end of the Sussexes’ Australia tour, during which the couple filled four days with public engagements and philanthropic appearances.
They visited the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, met survivors of the Bondi attack, supported veterans at the War Memorial, and attended a rugby match.
Markle also made a brief appearance as a guest judge on Network 10’s MasterChef Australia, while Prince Harry delivered a keynote address on workplace mental health at the InterEdge Summit.