Working members of the Royal Family typically benefit from tightly managed protection protocols

Security concerns have emerged around Meghan Markle’s forthcoming women’s retreat in Sydney after an individual on social media claimed to have successfully obtained entry with the intention of covertly filming the event.

The Duchess of Sussex is scheduled to appear at a three-day wellness gathering organised by the Her Best Life podcast later this month, with tickets priced at approximately £1,400 per person for standard admission.

 

The commercial venture, which promises activities including yoga, meditation and a question-and-answer session with the duchess, is open to any paying guest rather than a vetted audience.

Premium packages offering closer access to Meghan are available for up to £2,000, with around 300 attendees expected at the InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach venue.

Meghan Markle

Security concerns emerge ahead of Meghan Markle’s women’s retreat in Sydney

 | GETTY

The individual posted on X that they had “hatched a plan with a friend who lives in Sydney” to attend the weekend event.

These claims, which have spread widely across social media, raise questions about the safety arrangements at events organised privately by the Sussexes.

Guest lists are not undergoing the rigorous vetting applied to official royal appearances.

Working members of the Royal Family typically benefit from tightly managed protection protocols, with their movements carefully coordinated and precise venue details rarely disclosed before engagements take place.

Meghan Markle

The Duchess of Sussex has confirmed she remains committed to appearing at the three-day ‘Her Best Life Retreat’ taking place next month | HER BEST LIFE

The Sydney retreat stands in stark contrast, with the location, dates and ticketing information openly promoted online as part of a commercial offering.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex maintain that the trip will be privately funded.

The timing is particularly awkward for Prince Harry, who is currently engaged in legal proceedings to have his UK police protection reinstated amid persistent security risks to his family.

Harry has cited security concerns as the reason his children Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, have not visited the UK for years.

Harry and Meghan
Harry and Meghan pictured during their 2018 trip to Australia | GETTY

Gemma O\u2019Neill and Jackie OGemma O’Neill (left) and Jackie O (right) at the Marie Claire Women Of The Year Awards 2024 | GETTYDuring a trip to Britain last summer, the duke was nearly approached by a woman identified as his stalker, with his public relations representative forced to intervene in the absence of police protection.

Meghan and Harry last visited Australia in 2018 as working members of the Royal Family.

The Invictus Games, which was founded by the Duke of Sussex in 2014, coincided with this official royal tour.