Meghan Markle breaks silence on divisive trip to Australia

The Duchess of Sussex has spoken candidly about her fashion choices during her and Prince Harry’s trip Down Under, which were criticised as a “money-making plot”

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The Duchess of Sussex spent four days in Australia for charity events(Image: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

Meghan Markle has spoken out about her controversial trip to Australia, breaking silence on her fashion choices throughout the divisive visit that were subject to criticism. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent four days Down Under in late April, attending engagements in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.

After returning from the whirlwind trip, Meghan spoke out in an interview to share her love for Australia and praise how their international trip went as their jam-packed itinerary featured philanthropic endeavours, learning about Indigenous culture, and Australian sport. Meghan spoke to Australian Women’s Weekly and gushed about her love for the Australian people.

 

Meghan Markle has spoken out about her whirlwind trip to Australia(Image: PA)

She told the publication: “My husband and I have such an affinity for Australia. I said to him the day we were flying out, ‘The only thing better than Australia are Australians’.”

Meghan also spoke about her fashion choices during the trip, as she explained her decision to showcase Australian designers. “I love being able to wear local designers and celebrate the craftsmanship that’s happening in whatever region I’m travelling to,” she said.

Meghan added: “I really focused on smaller labels, female-owned brands, up-and-coming designers, and brands with purpose. I have so much fun personally selecting pieces, and I was really happy to be able to do it again for this trip.

When asked about which outfit from her four-day Australian trip was her favourite, the Duchess responded: “It would be hard to choose one because I put each look together with a different vibe in mind, and I loved them all for different reasons. There wasn’t always time to change between locations, so it was fun to get creative.”

The Duchess spoke of her love for Australians(Image: JOEL CARRETT/EPA/Shutterstock)

Meghan’s fashion drew criticism throughout the trip, as she posted photos of the outfits she wore on charitable engagements on an online shopping app. The Duchess has invested in the company OneOff, which describes itself as a “style-driven fashion discovery platform”.

The site includes purchasing links to a host of celebrities’ clothes, and it is believed Meghan is receiving a share of sales. While many of her outfits from throughout the four-day visit were posted to the app, one particular ensemble received a wave of criticism.

A photo was shared to the app of Meghan visiting the site of the Bondi terror attacks, with links for fans to purchase what she wore to the Sydney beach. In December last year, two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah event where 15 people were killed and another 40 were injured.

Meghan spoke candidly about her fashion choices during the trip(Image: Getty Images)

Harry and Meghan travelled to Bondi to meet with survivors and emergency responders who were there during the horrific attack, walking along Bondi Beach and embracing those impacted by the tragedy.

Many royal commentators were shocked at the decision for Meghan to advertise her outfit from such a morbid event, with former BBC royal commentator Jennie Bond saying while Meghan is free to commercialise her fashion choices, she may not have thought the decision through to promote her Bondi outfit.

Jennie told the Mirror : “I have to admit that it’s rather ‘in your face’ to use every public appearance to turn a profit. I think it might be prudent for her to choose the occasions when she puts up links to her clothes on the new app, and charity events or meeting terror attack victims at Bondi Beach are not the right place for it.”