The announcement of Meghan's Australia visit plans came on Jackie Henderson and Gemma O'Neill's podcast 'Her Best Life'
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NEED TO KNOW
- Meghan Markle will join a “Girl’s Weekend” retreat for the Her Best Life podcast in Australia
- Meghan will visit Australia with Prince Harry in April, with the retreat taking place from April 17 to April 19
- The event will include a “gala dinner” featuring a conversation with Meghan
Meghan Markle will join a "Girl's Weekend" retreat hosted with the Her Best Life podcast during her upcoming visit to Australia with her husband, Prince Harry.
The event, which will be held from April 17 to April 19 at the InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach, will include "meaningful speakers" and "a gala dinner featuring in-person conversation with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex," described as "An intimate gala like no other" in the press release.
Her Best Life, co-hosts Jackie Henderson and Gemma O'Neill outlined Meghan's role for the upcoming podcast retreat in their Tuesday, March 10 episode. O'Neill explained that she and the Duchess of Sussex, 44, share mutual friend Markus Anderson, who is a consultant for Soho House. Anderson texted O'Neill in late 2025 from Meghan's home, asking if she would ever like to collaborate with Meghan if she ever came to visit Australia, O'Neill said.
"Markus messaged me because he was at Meghan’s house," O'Neill explained of how the collaboration came to be. "Markus is also very close friends to Meghan and has been for many years as well, long before she was married and they have a beautiful friendship too and I guess that’s probably one of the things that I’ve always felt about Meghan, whenever I’ve read stories, is I’ve always felt protective that my friend’s Markus is the bee’s knees, he’s a top notch human. The first person to be there, check on you. I knew that Markus wouldn’t be so close or best friends with someone who wasn’t also the same."
O'Neill added, "He’s always said we would get along really well and always wanted us to connect," before adding that she was contacted by "someone on Meghan's team," who said that Meghan would be happy to connect.
"I am, like, beside myself about, because I have admired this woman, and what she has endured, how she's risen above it, and how she has demonstrated, how a woman can be pushed down and she can still rise, and that person is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex," O'Neill said of Meghan's journey in the public eye.
O'Neill continued, "And I can't believe I'm even saying those words. There's no one more shocked than me, because I know what you're all thinking, 'cause I'm thinking the same thing, which is 'how has Meghan Duchess of Sussex, this incredible woman, gone from Oprah to talking on stage with just little odd me, Gemma in Sydney?'"
O'Neill said of Meghan's participation in the upcoming event, "She's doing this because she really loves what our community is about which is women trying to grow, trying to be their best selfs and trying to help other women."
A spokesperson for Meghan and Harry previously confirmed to PEOPLE that the couple will be touring Australia in mid-April to "take part in a number of private, business, and philanthropic engagements." This will be their first trip to the country in over seven years. Their children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, will not be joining them.
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Tickets to the "Girl's Weekend" retreat come in two packages. The "limited" Early Bird tickets go for $2,699, while the VIP Experience for $3,199 per person includes seating at a table in front two rows for the gala dinner with Meghan, a group table photo with Meghan, an exclusive VIP goodie bag, premium ocean view hotel room (twin share), and all weekend inclusions. The event is limited to 300 people and all tickets include a full weekend experience, according to the podcast.
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