The mutual friend who connected Meghan to Sydney podcast host ahead of Australian tour with Prince Harry

The Duchess of Sussex agreed to headline a women's-only retreat in Sydney during her visit to Australia as a "favour" to a mutual friend.

Meghan will appear at the event, billed as a 'girls weekend like no other', hosted by the Her Best Life podcast in mid-April where tickets start at $2699, while the VIP experience costs $3199.

The duchess was put in touch with podcast host Gemma O'Neill by Markus Anderson, a long-time friend of both women.

"I feel so flattered because she's effectively doing this as a favour because of our mutual friend, and she's doing it because she really loves what our community is about, which is women trying to grow...be their best selves and trying to help other women," O'Neill said when she announced Meghan's participation on Wednesday.

Meghan is coming to Australia next month with Prince Harry to "take part in a number of private, business, and philanthropic engagements", their spokesperson said.

They are expected to have engagements in Sydney and Melbourne and will be here as private citizens and not representatives of the British royal family or UK government.

The Duke of Sussex will be a keynote speaker at the InterEdge Psychosocial Safety Summit in Melbourne, happening across April 15 and 16.

READ MORE: Meghan to appear at $3199 Sydney event next month

READ MORE: Queen Mary's Australian tour going ahead despite world travel chaos

READ MORE: Andrew given ultimatum by King Charles months before his arrest

He is also likely to attend events connected with the Invictus Games, which is hoping to bring the sporting event back to Australia in 2031.

Further details of their program will be announced in due course.

Prince Harry and Meghan were last in Australia in 2018, just five months after their royal wedding. That visit coincided with the Invictus Games in Sydney.

So far, only Meghan's involvement in the retreat has been made public.

The event, which will be limited to just 300 people, will be held at the InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach between April 17 and 19.

O'Neill explained to her listeners that she has been friends with Anderson for many years and it was him who suggested Meghan might be interested in working with her one day.

Anderson, who is a consultant for Soho House, has known the duchess since her acting days.

O'Neill said she received a text from Anderson in late 2025 when he was visiting Meghan's Montecito home, asking if O'Neill would like to collaborate with the duchess if she ever returned to Australia.

"Markus messaged me because he was at Meghan's house," O'Neill said.

"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.

"He's always said we would get along really well and always wanted us to connect."

O'Neill was later contacted by "someone on Meghan's team" when it was confirmed she would visit Australia and it went from there.

She also suggested the duchess was not getting paid to appear at the retreat.

"I'm going to answer probably something that I think would feel fairly obvious: 'Oh it must be costing you a fortune to have Meghan come to your event'.

"Um, no guys, I think you all know, the community knows, I don't have that kind of money guys. That's not on the cards for me.

"But what I will say is that she is effectively doing this as a favour to our mutual friend."

Other events across the retreat – which don't include the duchess – include yoga and meditation, a "powerful women's session" with a psychologist and a "dance-floor-filled disco night".

Prince Harry and Meghan's two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are not expected to join them in Australia.

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.