**Meghan Markle’s 2018 Australia Tour: Behind the Smiles, Tensions Sparked a Dramatic Outburst**
*Published Oct. 1, 2025, 7:55 p.m. ET*
Meghan Markle’s celebrated 2018 tour of Australia with Prince Harry was widely hailed as a public triumph. However, RadarOnline.com now reveals that behind the smiling photographs, tensions with aides left the Duchess of Sussex so “miserable” that it sparked a dramatic outburst—ending with her hurling a cup of tea into the air.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, then newly married and expecting their first child, captivated crowds in Sydney and beyond. Harry, 34 at the time, expressed how “humbled and inspired” he was by competitors at the Invictus Games, while Meghan, then 37, praised the “unshakable bond” and camaraderie among service personnel.
### Public Triumph, Private Strain
Their first major overseas tour seemed flawless to the public and press, who dubbed it “Meghan-mania.” But sources close to the Sussex household describe a very different atmosphere behind the scenes. One insider revealed, “From the outside it looked perfect, but behind the scenes things were tense. Markle was unhappy, Harry was fixated on negative comments online, and the staff were stuck in between.”
Frustrations eventually boiled over. Markle allegedly flung a cup of tea into the air in what one source described as “a small but dramatic act of rebellion.”
### Clashes With Palace Aides
Royal author Tom Bower, in his book *Revenge*, noted that while glowing photographs of the couple dominated headlines, reality inside their team was marked by unhappiness. Meghan had brought close friends Jessica and Ben Mulroney from Canada as her support network, reportedly creating friction with Palace aides assigned to the couple.
Aides described Markle as “abrasive” toward staff and diplomats, recalling the moment she threw a cup of tea during a heated exchange. Another insider explained, “She was dealing with huge pressure and wanted the kind of press handling she was used to in Hollywood. When that wasn’t delivered, her frustration showed.”
### Harry’s Late-Night Obsessions
The strain intensified due to relentless media coverage. According to Bower, Harry scoured social media late at night for criticism, fueling their anxieties. Markle’s anger deepened when stories about her father, Thomas Markle, resurfaced in the American press — including allegations about drug use and claims that he first learned of her pregnancy on the radio.
Though these reports originated in the US, Harry allegedly blamed the British press, which further strained the team’s dynamics.
### A Rift That Never Healed
Behind the scenes, Markle grew increasingly irate with senior aide Jason Knauf, believing he and his team had failed to protect her. One source shared, “She felt vulnerable. Meghan admitted she had believed the Palace would shield her, but when that didn’t happen, her confidence in the staff collapsed.”
The rift with Knauf widened to the extent that Markle reportedly excluded him from knowing about her surprise appearance at the British Fashion Awards later that year, leaving even the press office blindsided. Valentine Low, in his book *Courtiers*, described this move as a deliberate public snub.
The fallout extended beyond palace staff. Markle’s once-close friendship with Jessica Mulroney eventually collapsed after Mulroney became embroiled in a race controversy in 2020.
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### A Turning Point
Insiders say the tensions of that Australian tour marked a crucial turning point. As one source put it, “That was when the gap between the glossy image and what was really happening behind the scenes became undeniable.”
https://radaronline.com/p/meghan-markle-hurled-tea-miserable-royal-life/
