The claim that Meghan Markle “hated every second” of the 2018 Australian tour comes from Tina Brown’s book The Palace Papers, which attributes the account to an unnamed former palace staffer. It is not a public statement by Meghan, and the available reporting does not independently verify what she privately felt.
Where the “hated every second” claim came from
In a May 3, 2022 report, PerthNow quoted Brown’s account in The Palace Papers. Brown wrote: “So, Meghan must have been thrilled with it all? No. She apparently hated every second of it.” Brown attributed that description to a former palace worker, whose identity is not given in the report.
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As relayed through Brown, the staffer said Meghan “didn’t understand why things were set up in that way.” The account gives an example: “Instead of being excited when thousands of people showed up at the Opera House, it was very much like, ‘What’s the purpose? I don’t understand this’.” These words are not a direct quotation from Meghan. They are an unnamed source’s reported recollection as conveyed by Brown and then quoted in secondary coverage.
Brown’s framing, as PerthNow summarizes it, is that the staffer was describing a mismatch between Meghan’s interest in highlighting causes and the monarchy’s traditional representational work. That explanation is part of the reported account, not an independently established account of Meghan’s motives.
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What tour the report refers to
The trip took place in October 2018. PerthNow describes it as a 16-day tour of Australia, New Zealand and Pacific islands, with Australian stops including Sydney, Melbourne, Dubbo and Fraser Island in Queensland. The Sydney Opera House was among the high-profile public engagements.
A later Nine/9Honey retrospective recalls other moments, including a farm visit in Dubbo, Bondi Beach and Invictus Games events in Sydney. It also reports that Meghan missed some engagements during her pregnancy and later appeared on Fraser Island. These itinerary details provide context for the trip; they do not confirm or disprove the private reaction attributed to her.
What public appearances can—and cannot—show
The Nine/9Honey writer, who says they covered the trip as an Australian journalist in the press pack, recalled Meghan waving, smiling, posing for photographs and shaking hands. The writer also described long waits and deep crowds in Wellington. Those are observations of public behavior. They cannot establish how Meghan privately felt about the Australian engagements, just as the unnamed staffer’s account cannot be treated as a direct statement from her.
Why the New Zealand leg should be treated separately
The claim is often discussed in connection with the wider Pacific tour, but the reported account concerns the Australian engagements. In a May 3, 2022 commentary, The Spinoff questioned extending it to New Zealand, noting that public evidence and reports that Harry and Meghan considered moving there complicate that broader reading. This is a counter-reading, not proof of Meghan’s private feelings or a definitive rebuttal of the allegation about Australia.
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Geo.tv reported that Prince Harry later described New Zealand as “an incredible time” and said, “We had an amazing time in New Zealand, it’s beautiful.” Those comments refer to New Zealand and are not a direct denial about Meghan’s experience in Australia. Geo.tv also reported, attributing the detail to other coverage, that Meghan had described the tour as taxing and herself as exhausted.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is established, and what remains unverified
The available reporting establishes the provenance of the allegation: Brown’s book attributes it to an unnamed former palace staffer. It does not provide the full book text, identify that staffer, or offer an original interview or official record that verifies the account. Nor does it establish that Meghan herself said the quoted words. The headline’s phrasing should therefore be read as a reported claim about her private reaction, not as a confirmed fact.
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