Meghan Markle has drawn backlash after her Bondi visit outfit was quickly linked on the market online, sparking criticism over mixing humanitarian work with industrial promotion.
While she and Prince Harry met survivors and first responders, critics, including Richard Palmer, questioned the timing. The couple continued engagements across Sydney, including an Invictus Australia event.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry also reflected on royal life, with the duke discussing grief over Princess Diana and Meghan addressing years of online abuse.
Meghan’s outfit from her visit to satisfy survivors of the Bondi Beach terror attack has quickly change into available for purchase online, through a platform where she reportedly earns a commission.
Her look from the Sydney beach visit, which also features Prince Harry in promotional imagery, features a striped shirt, white jeans, trainers, sunglasses, and a suede bag, all of which can be found on the market on the style platform OneOff.
In line with the Every day Mail, Meghan is claimed to receive between 10% and 25% from each item sold and can also be listed as an investor within the AI-driven shopping site.
Her profile on the platform, where she is styled as “Meghan, Duchess of Sussex,” features several recent appearances, including her current Australia visit, each with direct shopping links.
Throughout the visit, the duchess appeared visibly emotional, speaking with survivors and first responders connected to the December attack that claimed 15 lives.
She also embraced individuals directly affected, including survivor Jessica Chapnik Kahn, who protected her young child in the course of the incident.
The timing of the outfit’s promotion has drawn criticism, with some observers questioning the choice to link her clothing to sales so quickly after a visit with terror attack survivors.
Critics argue that showcasing purchasable looks during such a sensitive engagement blurs the road between humanitarian work and industrial activity.
Royal commentator Richard Palmer described the move as “the starkest example yet of Harry and Meghan’s efforts to commercialize their royal brand.”
He suggested that it could potentially “have alarm bells ringing on the palace and will ultimately prompt further discussion about whether there’s a must strip them of their royal titles,” especially given recent precedents inside the family.
The expert added: “The palace can say it’s nothing to do with the institution because Harry and Meghan aren’t publicly-funded members of it – but they’re the King’s son and daughter-in-law, and any suggestion of cashing in on royal status reflects badly on the monarchy.”
Meghan Markle Was Slammed Online Over The Business Move
On social media, Meghan’s move to place the outfit she wore to satisfy Bondi survivors didn’t go unnoticed, prompting mixed reactions.
One person commented on X, “It’s astounding that these two are still given opportunities, after they’ve clearly, by past behavior, shown they fully intend to merch and profit tf off of all of it.”
A second individual said, “Her business should be in real trouble if that is the ghoul tactics she’s resorted to? Why did she think this was appropriate? And why would she think normal people would accept this?”
“She is disgusting and wonders why she was ‘probably the most trolled person in all the world,’” one other harsh critic wrote of the duchess’s business move.
The Sussexes’ Sydney Visit Marks’ Full-Circle Moment’ With Invictus Return
Despite the backlash, the couple continued their engagements across Sydney. At Bondi Beach, they hung out speaking with survivors and first responders, with Harry briefly sharing a lightweight moment greeting a beachgoer before turning his attention back to those affected.
She emphasized the necessity to confront hate, calling it a significant “human problem,” and said the chance to attach on a deeper, emotional level made the moment especially meaningful.
Later within the day, the pair were welcomed by crowds gathered on the Sydney Opera House before heading out for a sailing event hosted by Invictus Australia.
On the harbor, they met veteran Joel Vanderzwan, who presented them with custom flip-flops reading “G’day Hazza” and “G’day Megs,” prompting Harry to joke about often receiving “budgie smugglers.”
They later boarded a wheelchair-accessible vessel designed for injured veterans.
The visit marked a return to Australia for the couple, who last toured the country in 2018 when Harry announced that the Invictus Games could be hosted there. Invictus Australia CEO Michael Hartung described their return to Sydney Harbour as a “full-circle moment.”
The day concluded with the couple attending a rugby match between the Recent South Wales Waratahs and Moana Pasifika, where they sat alongside Phil Waugh, CEO of the Australian Rugby Union.
Prince Harry Reflects On Princess Diana’s Death As Meghan Markle Opens Up About Online Abuse
During their trip, Harry and Meghan also reflected on their experiences as former working royals.
Speaking on the InterEdge Summit in Melbourne, Harry opened up in regards to the impact of losing his mother, Princess Diana, at a young age, recalling the way it shaped his feelings about royal life.
He shared: “After my mum died just before my thirteenth birthday – I used to be like: ‘I don’t want this job. I don’t want this role – wherever that is headed, I don’t prefer it.” Nevertheless, he later realized he could use his platform to create meaningful change.
Meghan, meanwhile, addressed the consequences of online abuse, saying” she was probably the most trolled person in all the world.”
Talking to young people connected to the mental health organization Batyr, she described digital spaces as often “completely anchored and predicated on cruelty to get clicks.