Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, will host a weekend retreat hosted by Her Best Life podcast, launched by Gemma O’Neill and Jackie “O” Henderson in April.
The event will take place during a visit to Australia by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, described by their office as “a series of personal, business and philanthropic engagements.”
The engagement was confirmed by his Best Lives podcast host Gemma O’Neill on Wednesday and later several local media reported the appearance of the rumor. Jackie “O” Henderson co-hosted the show with O’Neill until recently, when Henderson announced that he would be “stepping away” from the podcast in an episode that aired on February 3.
The event will be held in Sydney on 17 to 19 April. Meghan will be the keynote speaker for the event. O’Neill confirmed on Wednesday’s show that Henderson would not be joining him to interview the Duchess.
The tour is the couple’s first time in Australia since 2018. They will visit Sydney and Melbourne during the trip. Their children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, are not expected to accompany them on the trip.
The event is described as a retreat for “powerful women”, during which Meghan and O’Neill will “talk about life, parenting, relationships, building a global business and being around a public figure.”
O’Neill is uniquely positioned to explore those layers of Meghan’s life; for more than a decade O’Neill was in the United States working for Australian actress Nicole Kidman, as her assistant and, later, an executive at Kidman’s production company Blossom Films.
Returning to Australia, O’Neill worked briefly in radio again before moving into management and business development. He and Henderson, better known as Jackie O, are partners in the Her Better Life podcast, and related activities.
The announcement of the Australian tour comes just days after Netflix confirmed it had pulled out as a “regular partner” in Meghan’s lifestyle brand, As Ever. The Duchess launched the brand a year ago, with a range of food products, including jam, honey, tea and baking mixes.
Netflix announced two seasons of the related television series, With Love, directed by the duchess, in 2025. A holiday special aired in December. No additional sessions are expected.
“We’re excited to play a role in bringing that vision to life,” a Netflix spokesperson said. “As always intended, Meghan will continue to grow the brand and take it into its next chapter independently.”
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s visit to Australia will come on the heels of another royal visit: King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark will be here for a six-day state visit from March 14, including stops in the Northern Territory, ACT, Victoria and Tasmania.
There are also ongoing rumors that the Prince and Princess of Wales, from whom the Sussexes are separated, are also planning to visit Australia with their children later in 2026.
The Sussexes last visited Australia in October 2018. In his memoir, Spare, Prince Harry wrote about the strong reaction to his wife. “Everywhere we went, huge crowds showed up, and he didn’t disappoint. All over Australia, Tonga, Fiji, New Zealand, he was amazed.”
Michael Idato is the senior culture editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect through X or email address.
