Meghan Markle ‘complained about not being paid’ for simple duty on royal tour, book claims

Australia is gearing up for a major royal tour with King Charles and Queen Camilla set to arrive Down Under later this week.

The couple will visit the likes of Sydney and Canberra on their first visit to the country since 2018. And it came in the same year that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle embarked on a huge high-profile trip to Australia just months after they wed in the same year. The Sussexes spent 16 days travelling around Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand on what was their first joint royal tour – and on the eve of it starting, it was revealed that Meghan was pregnant with their son, Prince Archie.

Naturally, the couple proved a huge draw during the tour, with massive crowds turning out to see them as they visited the countries and attended an impressive 76 engagements. But a book written by former The Times’ royal correspondent, Valentine Low, claims that Meghan ” enjoyed the attention” she received but did not understand the point of royal walkabouts.

In his book, Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, he explains: “On the South Pacific tour, Harry and Meghan were going down a storm. Massive crowds were turning out to see them, and Meghan’s refreshingly informal approach to royal visits was proving a hit with the Australian public.

“Behind the scenes, however, it was a different story. Although she enjoyed the attention, Meghan failed to understand the point of all those walkabouts, shaking hands with countless strangers. According to several members of staff, she was heard to say on at least one occasion: ‘I can’t believe I’m not getting paid for this’.”