The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been in Australia this week for a royal tour.

Harry and Meghan have been in Australia this week (Image: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been the target of an AI publicity stunt during their trip to Australia this week. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have visited Down Under this week for the first time since 2018, have carried out various engagements, both together and apart.

While the couple have been all smiles on the trip, they are unlikely to be happy when they realise they were used as part of an AI publicity stunt by an Australian cafe. The cafe, Beachside Bakehouse in San Remo, Victoria, generated an AI image of Harry and Meghan sat outside the cafe.

The cafe then uploaded this photograph to Facebook, captioning the post: “We always said we were fit for royalty, just didn’t think they’d actually take us up on it. Next round’s on you Haz”.

While some locals believed Harry and Meghan had actually visited the eatery, others were quick to pick up on the fact the image had been AI generated.

This sparked some backlash and a lot of attention online, with the cafe speaking to The Mirror about why they created the image, saying it was just for “fun”.

The cafe told the Mirror: “The image was created and shared as a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun, and we didn’t expect the level of attention it’s received.

“A number of people have said they had to do a double take, thinking it was real at first – which has been quite surreal for a small local bakehouse.”

The Ai-generated image uploaded online by the cafe (Image: Beachside Bakehouse/Facebook)

They continued: “It’s been amazing seeing the reaction from around the world, and it really highlights how powerful social media can be for small local businesses. At the end of the day, we’re just focused on serving our community with fresh pies, pastries and coffee every day.

“While we can’t confirm any royal visits just yet, we can confirm the pies and coffee are worth the stop.

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

“The post was intended as a bit of lighthearted fun for our community, and we’ve been blown away by the response. It’s been great exposure for a small local business like ours.”

Harry and Meghan have not addressed the AI image of themselves, however for years they have been very vocal about the dangers of social media, especially in spreading false information.