Meghan’s £1,400-per-person ‘girls weekend’ retreat overshadowed by growing security concerns after online troll reveals plans to attend and ‘secretly record’
The Duchess of Sussex‘s latest commercial venture has been overshadowed by growing security concerns after an online troll claimed they were attempting to gain access to one of her upcoming appearances.
Meghan is set to headline a women-only three-day retreat in Sydney later this month organised by the Her Best Life podcast.
The event promises yoga, sound healing, meditation, a psychologist-led session, a disco evening and a ‘fireside chat’ Q&A with Meghan alongside a gala dinner which she will attend.
The event is described as a £1,400-per-person ‘girls weekend’.
As it is a commercial lifestyle retreat rather than a formal royal-style engagement it is open to anyone who wants to attend – even hostile trolls.
Guests are being charged around £1,400 for a standard ticket or up to £2,000 for premium packages offering more direct access to the Duchess.
The event is being held at the Inter Continental Sydney Coogee Beach, where rooms typically cost between £250 and £450 per night.
The relatively cheap hotel part of the fee is understood to be included in the ticket price, meaning that the remaining ticket cost is likely to line the pockets of Meghan and the event organisers.
Meghan Markle (pictured, at a gala last month) is set to headline a women-only three-day retreat in Sydney later this month organised by the Her Best Life podcast
The event promises yoga, sound healing, meditation, a psychologist-led session, a disco evening and a ‘fireside chat’ Q&A with Meghan. Pictured: An advert for the retreat
Now, social media users (pictured) have begun openly discussing their plans to attend, with one suggesting they hoped to test security arrangements or gain entry under false pretences
Around 300 guests expected to attend the three-day event and the website states the ticket allocation has been ‘exhausted’.
But there have been separate claims that not all tickets have been sold yet.
Now, social media users have begun openly discussing their plans to attend, with one suggesting they hoped to test security arrangements or gain entry under false pretences.
One wrote, ‘Just in case if Meghan Markle didn’t despise me enough she’s about to HATE ME even more.
‘I hatched a plan with a friend who lives in Sydney to attend the best life weekend, they have been accepted & has a spot secured.
‘Good luck figuring out who it is, Meghan’.
Hinting that they plan to ‘secretly record’, the user added, ‘There are button cameras, meta glasses, we got all the bases covered.
‘Now that they’ve been accepted. Let the games begin!!!’
One user predicted Meghan would have to cancel the event or pull out of her appearance due to security concerns combined with poor ticket sales.
Another warned that Australians will be hostile to former Royals coming into town and said menacingly, ‘I know there will be people heckling her and protesting outside the event … us Aussies have lots of surprises for her.’
The claims, which have circulated widely on X, raise fresh questions about the safety of the Sussexes privately organised appearances, where attendee lists are not subject to the same scrutiny as official royal engagements.
It comes at a particularly sensitive time for Prince Harry, who is currently attempting to have his UK police protection reinstated, arguing that his family faces ongoing security risks when travelling to the UK.
In recent days, he has faced criticism after sources close to him said he would be willing to spend time in the UK with his children, including a possible visit to Sandringham, if he was invited and if adequate security arrangements were put in place.
Critics argue that Prince Harry’s children Archie, six, and Lily, four, are being inadvertently drawn into an ongoing dispute over protection and leaving the King in a difficult position.
Royal protection arrangements for working members of the Royal Family are typically tightly controlled, with movements carefully managed and precise event locations rarely disclosed in advance of appearances.
By contrast, Meghan’s upcoming Sydney visit has been openly promoted, with details of the location, timing and ticketing widely available online as part of a commercial package.
It comes at a particularly sensitive time for Prince Harry (pictured, speaking at a conference this week), who is currently attempting to have his UK police protection reinstated, arguing that his family faces ongoing security risks when travelling to the UK
In recent days, he has faced criticism after sources close to him said he would be willing to spend time in the UK with his children (pictured, in an Instagram post shared by Meghan at Christmas), if he was invited and if adequate security arrangements were put in place
The Sussexes’ Sydney tour has already faced criticism, with some Australians questioning whether such a high-profile visit would involve any taxpayer cost for security, especially given the commercial nature of the event.
Many anti-monarchists in the country argue that taxpayers should not be expected to contribute when appearances are tied to private, profit-making ventures.
The online chatter about trolls and fans attempting to attend for ulterior motives has only added to concerns about how such events are managed.
While there is no indication of any specific threat, the public nature of these online discussions highlights the risks posed by events that blur the line between celebrity access and controlled royal engagements.
When the late Queen was alive she insisted that ‘half-in, half-out’ arrangements for Meghan and Harry would never work.
The couple agreed to step down as working royals altogether but have since pursued a series of so-called ‘pseudo Royal tours’, including a trip to Columbia and now the Australian tour.
Harry has repeatedly argued that the loss of official protection has left him and Meghan vulnerable to security threats, particularly when travelling internationally or with their children.
He cites security as the reason he hasn’t visited the UK with his children for years.
Appearances such as the Sydney retreat risk undermining that argument by placing the Meghan in an environment where exposure to strangers is not only unavoidable but actively encouraged.
When Harry came to the UK in the summer he was nearly accosted by a woman known to be his ‘stalker’ – and it fell to his PR man to block her from getting close to him because there was no police protection present.
It is not known whether taxpayer money is being used to fund the trip. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex insist it will be privately funded.
