Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's upcoming visit to Australia could be a "blueprint" for a potential return to the UK, insiders have claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who live in Montecito, will spend four days Down Under this week for a variety of engagements, privately and for business reasons.
It marks their first visit to Australia, where King Charles is head of state, since their official royal tour in 2018 – and the trip could be significant for their future plans.
A source told The Sun that it could be a "blueprint" for future trips abroad, including to the UK, acting as a "dummy run" and "testing ground". Insiders will reportedly be closely watching the couple receive on their travels.
Meghan has not been in the UK since the late Queen's funeral in 2022, while their children, Archie and Lilibet, have not visited since her Jubilee celebrations that year. Harry, however, is due to be in the UK in June to mark a year until the Invictus Games in Birmingham. It's currently expected that he will be travelling without his family.
Royal editor Emily Nash, writing for HELLO!'s Royal Club last month, agreed that the visit will be a "litmus test" for potential visits in the future.
She said: "How well the Sussexes do or don’t go down with the Australian public will be a real litmus test for what else they may do this year, which will likely include a return to Africa at some point.
"It will also be something for the wider royal family to watch. As a Realm nation, with King Charles as its Head of State, Australia receives fairly regular visits from members of The Firm."
© Getty Images for NetflixHopes for a reunion?
Last month, The Times reported that the Duke of Sussex is said to be holding out hope for a reunion between his father, King Charles, and his children, at Sandringham in the summer. Harry was said to want to spend "family time" together at the Norfolk estate.
The King and Queen Camilla are also visiting the US this month for a state visit, a five-hour flight away from the Sussexes' home in Montecito. However, a source close to the Duke of Sussex has confirmed that Harry won't be travelling to Washington, D.C. to reunite with his father, despite it being the first time they've been on the same side of the Atlantic since September.
© Samir Hussein/WireImageAnd Emily explained that the reality of a reunion in the UK comes with lots of complications.
She wrote: "However much the King may want to be reunited with his youngest son and his grandchildren, and that can’t realistically happen until Harry’s security review and High Court case again against Associated Newspapers are resolved, the institutional reality is more complicated.
"With round-the-clock protection in the UK, the Sussexes could effectively operate alongside the working royals, but outside the carefully managed framework that governs royal duties.
"In a family and an institution that operates with a clear hierarchy, that could prove to be a headache the King doesn’t need right now."
What do we know about Meghan and Harry's Australia visit so far?
© GettyPrince Harry and Meghan are set to begin their four-day visit Down Under on Tuesday, visiting Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, with more details yet to be announced. Both have paid speaking engagements, with Harry set to be a speaker at the InterEdge summit in Melbourne.
Meghan is the headline guest at a women-only Her Best Life retreat, where tickets cost $2,699 for access to events including a gala dinner, meals, alcohol, and two nights at the InterContinental Hotel in Sydney.
A spokesperson for the couple said previously: "Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will visit Australia in mid-April to take part in a number of private, business, and philanthropic engagements. Further details will be shared in due course."
