Meghan Markle is making waves in royal-watching circles again — this time over a luxury “Girls’ Weekend” event in Australia that’s already drawing plenty of buzz (and backlash).
According to reports, the Duchess of Sussex will be the featured guest at an upcoming weekend retreat in Sydney, where attendees can take part in wellness-focused activities and cap things off with a conversation and gala dinner featuring Meghan.
The ticket price is also getting attention. Tickets are said to cost $1,900 and include an opportunity for guests to have a photo taken with Meghan.
The event has reportedly stirred up chatter among palace insiders, with one source suggesting Meghan’s latest appearance feels reminiscent of Sarah Ferguson’s more controversial post-royal ventures.
“She’s basically Fergie,” the source claimed, pointing to the criticism Ferguson has faced over money-making projects tied to her royal title.
In Meghan’s case, the insider chatter suggests it’s the optics that are driving the comparison — especially as Meghan and Prince Harry continue to build a post-royal life that looks very different from what Harry once imagined.
The retreat is being promoted by Gemma O’Neill, host of the Her Best Life podcast. O’Neill has said Meghan became involved after being introduced through a mutual friend.
O’Neill also shared that she initially had reservations and nearly declined, but ultimately decided to move forward, explaining she felt her podcast audience “deserved it.”
“I have admired (Meghan) and what she has endured… and how she has demonstrated how a woman can be pushed down and she can still rise,” O’Neill said.
The “Girls’ Weekend” is billed as an upscale oceanfront getaway at Sydney’s InterContinental Coogee Beach, with a schedule that includes morning yoga, sound healing, meditation, and manifestation sessions.
Promotional materials describe it as “a girls’ weekend like no other,” promising a luxury escape designed to help women “reconnect, recharge and have some serious fun.”
The weekend’s highlight, according to the ad, is “an in-person conversation and gala dinner with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex,” described as an “intimate gala like no other.”
Not everyone is cheering the announcement.
After details of the retreat began circulating, critics took to social media to question Meghan’s decision to take part in a ticketed VIP event, with some joking about her shift from royal tours to wellness weekends.
Others made snarky comparisons to convention-style meet-and-greets, while some simply chalked it up to a very modern celebrity play.
For now, Meghan’s appearance is already doing what it always seems to do: sparking conversation — and keeping eyes on what she does next.
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