Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s Australia Tour Proves Their ‘Half-In, Half-Out’ Model Works

It’s official! Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have figured out a way to be “half-in, half-out” royals after a successful tour in Australia last week.

The royal couple delivered a model of what they had hoped to achieve when they left their positions in the U.K. back in 2020. The trip, which included visits to a children’s hospital and a boat trip with military veterans, was described by The Telegraph as a “sustainable blueprint” for the future.

“We’ve tested the playbook, it worked,” a source told the media outlet. “They’re doing the right thing. Whether you want to call it half-in, half-out or – as they would probably describe it – just doing what they want to do and doing it in a really positive way, this week has given us reassurance that it is the right course of action. This could absolutely act as a blueprint for the future.”

From the size of the crowds during their visit, one thing is very clear: the Sussexes remain popular on a global scale, much to the British tabloid and royal family’s dismay. That was evident even three years ago when the dynamic duo traveled to Düsseldorf, Germany, for the Invictus Games.

The Daily Mail was shocked by the local press coverage, where they noted that “only positive headlines are being used to describe the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”

“I think people are very interested to see how they are together and their dynamics as a couple. They are very popular here. You only have to see how hundreds of people waited in the market square outside the town hall to try and see them. It was the same the previous year when they came to start the countdown to the games,” a local reporter told the U.K. media outlet in September 2023.

In the December 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, the Duke of Sussex revealed that he and Meghan were offered “five options” as part of their exit by Queen Elizabeth II. “One being all in, no change, five being all out,” Harry recalled.

They decided on option No. 3, which was “half-in, half-out.” He explained, “Have our own jobs but also work in support of the Queen.” It was Prince William and the then-Prince Charles who denied them that opportunity.

“It became very clear very quickly that that goal was not up for discussion or debate,” he said. “It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me, and my father say things that simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in.”

With the family feud still raging six years later, it’s clear that Harry and Meghan have taken their lives into their own hands. “Half-in, half-out” works perfectly for them.

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Before you go, click here to see more of Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s milestones since leaving the royal family.