EXCLUSIVE: Why Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Body Language Is Being Branded 'Disgusting' as They Continue 'Fake Royal Tour'
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Australia trip continues... with more backlash.
April 16 2026, Updated 10:00 a.m. ET
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been branded "disgusting" by critics over their body language during their Australia tour, as accusations mount the couple’s appearances resemble a "cheesy fake royal" performance masking the horrific estrangements at the hearts of both their families, instead of genuine engagement.
As RadarOnline.com has reported, Harry, 41, and Markle, 44, are currently undertaking a four-day visit across Australia, including stops in Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney, focused on mental health, veterans, and community outreach.
'It Just Seems a Bit Rotten'
Critics have branded Prince Harry and Markle’s body language as 'disgusting' and 'theatrical' during their Australian tour.
The trip marks their first return to the country since their official royal visit in 2018, though they are no longer working members of the royal family. Their reception has been mixed - with some Australians welcoming them warmly, while others have questioned their relevance and motives, as well as the cost to the country of heavy police security around them.
A source familiar with the backlash said: "There’s a growing view among critics that what they’re presenting feels staged rather than sincere. The body language is being picked apart as overly theatrical, and some are going as far as calling it inappropriate or even disgusting to watch."
The insider added: "The phrase ‘fake royal tour’ is being used because people feel it mimics official duties without the same accountability."
"Others are outraged because Harry has been estranged for years from his father and wider family, while Markle has infamously frozen her ill father out of her life."
"People find it vile they are turning up smiling to promote their 'brand' with all that going on. It just seems cheesy, fake, and a bit rotten."
'Domestic Goddess Act' Called Out
Dr. Louise Mahler blasted Markle’s 'domestic Goddess act,' describing her poses as incongruent with ongoing family conflicts.
During a visit to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, the couple was photographed greeting patients, crouching to speak with children, and posing for photos with families.
Australian body language expert Dr Louise Mahler also hit out: "The domestic Goddess act does not cut it with me."
She also sneered: "Megan grabs hold of Harry's upper arm and hangs on like a tiny helpless waif, reaching out shyly with half an arm to greet others, like a retiring introvert overcome by adoration."
Mahler continued: "Together they both crouch down for small children, embracing and showing warmth before going off to pick and sniff plants in the garden together in a natural healing ceremony."
Despite the criticism, the visit was positively received by hospital staff. Dr. Peter Steer, the hospital’s chief executive, said: "It was a genuinely meaningful visit for our staff and for the young people receiving care."
The Sussexes have faced accusations of using sick children and the homeless as "photo op pawns" for their personal brand.
Mahler, however, said the apparent warmth masked what she saw as a deeper inconsistency. She blasted: "I don't want to take away from the joy this may bring to deserving participants, but there is something dreadfully and shockingly incongruent here. The physical appearance we see bears no scar of the family conflict, staff distress, and financial and business turmoil we know exists."
She continued: "Even the glaringly omnipresent effect of jetlag is not present after a 16-hour flight back in time. None of it shows, and somehow that makes it alarmingly unreal, divisive, and for me, repulsive."
Further criticism has come from US body language expert Dr Lillian Glass, who analyzed Markle's solo visit to a Melbourne women's shelter.
Glass said: "Meghan's body language is most revealing."
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry 'Walking a Fine Line'
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Royal sources claimed the couple walked a 'fine line' between genuine service and staged celebrity performance.
She added, "She's got a plastered-on phoney smile when feeding the homeless. She appears to be elated that she is back in the public eye with a crowd of people looking at her, even though they were practically all children who had no clue who she was or why she was there.
"Her continuous open mouth, inappropriate laughter, and over-the-top smiles are both unnerving and disturbing."
The expert continued: "Since it has been a while and since their only audience are the homeless who couldn't care less about Meghan or Harry but rather on their daily survival, and very ill children who would be better off remaining in their hospital beds instead of being used as photo op pawns and being subjected to the falseness of these two really caring about them.
"They would never get this attention in California or anywhere else in the US as they are so disliked and seen as grifters and disaster tourists sowing up in situations they have no business sowing up at, like the Malibu fire in LA, school shootings in Texas, etcetera."
A royal source said the polarized reaction to the couple's Oz visit highlights the challenge the couple faces in redefining their public role.
"They’re walking a fine line between celebrity and service," the palace aide added. "For some, the gestures resonate, but for others, they feel exaggerated and fake, and that’s where the criticism is coming from."
