When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex step off the plane in Australia this week, they will return to a country that once greeted them with overwhelming warmth — but much has changed in the eight years since their last visit.

In 2018, Harry and Meghan's Australian tour was a triumph. Pregnant with their first child, the couple drew massive crowds in Sydney, Melbourne, and beyond. They were the fresh face of a modernizing monarchy, representing hope for a more inclusive, globally-minded royal family. The enthusiasm was palpable, the coverage overwhelmingly positive.

Now, as they return in 2026, the context surrounding their visit has fundamentally shifted. According to BBC News journalist Simon Atkinson, who has covered both tours, the couple will encounter an Australia grappling with different questions about its relationship to the Crown — and to them.

A Changed Royal Status

The most obvious difference is the couple's position within the royal structure itself. In 2018, Harry and Meghan were senior working royals, representing Queen Elizabeth II on an official Commonwealth tour. Their schedule was packed with formal engagements, ceremonial duties, and carefully orchestrated public appearances.

This visit, by contrast, comes after their 2020 departure from royal duties and their subsequent move to California. They are no longer representing the King, and their itinerary reflects a different kind of presence — one focused on their charitable foundation work and personal advocacy rather than constitutional formality.

The absence of official royal status creates both freedom and complication. They can speak more candidly about issues they care about, but they also arrive without the institutional backing that once smoothed their path.

Public Sentiment and Media Scrutiny

The intervening years have been marked by extraordinary public exposure of the couple's private grievances with the royal family. Their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Netflix documentary series, and Harry's memoir "Spare" have all shaped — and in many cases hardened — public opinion.

Australian audiences have not been immune to these divisions. While some admire the couple's willingness to challenge institutional racism and speak openly about mental health, others view their public criticisms of the royal family as inappropriate or self-serving.

"The goodwill they enjoyed in 2018 was almost universal," notes Atkinson. "Now the reception is likely to be more polarized, reflecting the broader debates their choices have sparked."

The Republican Question

Perhaps more significantly, Australia itself has evolved in its relationship to the monarchy. The death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 marked a generational turning point, and King Charles III does not command the same deep personal affection his mother enjoyed.

Republican sentiment in Australia has grown more vocal, particularly among younger generations. Recent polling suggests increasing support for an Australian head of state, though constitutional change remains politically complex and divisive.

Harry and Meghan's visit occurs against this backdrop of constitutional questioning. Their presence may inadvertently fuel both sides of the debate — republicans pointing to the couple's departure as evidence of the monarchy's irrelevance, monarchists arguing that the institution is bigger than any individual members.

What's Missing from the Narrative

What remains less examined is how Australian communities — particularly Indigenous Australians — view this visit. In 2018, the couple's engagement with First Nations issues was limited and largely ceremonial. Whether this tour will include more substantive engagement with Indigenous voices on sovereignty, treaty, and constitutional recognition remains to be seen.

The couple's foundation work has emphasized racial justice and mental health, issues with deep resonance in Australia. Yet their ability to contribute meaningfully to these conversations as visiting celebrities, rather than working within Australian movements, is an open question.

A Tour Redefined

The practical differences are telling. Security arrangements will be different without official royal protection. Media access will be more controlled, filtered through the couple's own communications team rather than the traditional royal press operation. The crowds may be smaller, the formality reduced, the message more personal.

For Harry, this is also a return to a country where he completed military training and has spoken fondly of his time. For Meghan, it's a chance to reconnect with a place that once seemed to embrace her fully, before the relationship with the royal family fractured so publicly.

Whether Australia in 2026 can recapture any of that 2018 enthusiasm — or whether this visit will simply underscore how much distance has grown between the Sussexes and the institution they left — will become clear in the days ahead.

What is certain is that this tour will be watched closely, not just for what it reveals about Harry and Meghan's current standing, but for what it reflects about Australia's own evolving sense of identity and its future relationship with the Crown.