Meghan Markle Faces Backlash for Wearing Princess Diana’s Watch During Australia Visit

Meghan Markle wearing a piece of Princess Diana’s jewelry during her controversial Australia tour has been criticized as a 'cynical' move with some accusing her of of attempting to leverage an iconic royal legacy despite dissociating herself from the Royal Family.

According to Radar Online, Markle who visited Australia with her husband, Prince Harry, wore an exquisite gold Cartier Tank Française watch during a series of engagements on April 14, 2026. The watch has been reported to have belonged to Diana.

The appearance was a part of the duo’s privately-funded, four-day outing that combined mental health summits, charitable initiatives and veteran support. However, the outing was heavily scrutinized for mixing the community initiatives with personal branding and alleged paid appearances.

An insider who has knowledge of the backlash surrounding the Duchess of Sussex wearing Diana’s watch during the Australian tour revealed to the publication, “Critics feel this was a calculated nod to Diana's legacy at a time when Meghan is no longer a working royal. They’re calling it a cynical move - almost like she's trying to borrow credibility and emotional connection to reinforce her image."

The insider said, “Others think it's tasteless and disrespectful, as Meghan is trying to cast herself as a philanthropist like Diana, when her charity is nowhere near the level of the late princess."

Apart from this, the former Suits also faced criticism for many reasons. During a visit to the McAuley homeless center in Melbourne's inner west, Meghan sported a a navy dress worth $1,250 by Karen Gee and Dior pumps worth $1,000.

She accessorized the look with gold earrings worth $1,118 and a Tiffany bracelet along with Princess Diana’s watch. The total value of her outfit and the accessories came to around $50,000 which critics found extremely inappropriate and tone-deaf considering that she was visiting a homeless charity.

Apart from this, Markle and Prince Harry were also called out for taking photos with unwell children at The Royal Children’s Hospital where one of the kids also had to remove her mask to take a picture with the couple and looked visibly disturbed. Many critics slammed the duo for using children for photo-ops and alleged personal branding.

The As Ever founder was also embroiled in a fiasco after she stayed at an Australian wellness retreat for only two hours where the attendees had to pay an extravagant sum of £1,700 to get an opportunity to meet her, ask her questions and click pictures.

The With Love, Meghan star was also spotted wearing a striped apron and serving food to the residents of the McAuley homeless center including zucchini slices which again received mixed reactions from social media users.

The CEO of the McAuley facility, Jocelyn Bignold, however expressed support to Meghan’s visit to the shelter. She was quoted to reveal, “It's very lovely to have attention on the whole issue of homelessness and family violence, and she will bring that attention to this facility, so that's good."