Meghan Markle seems to be unfazed by her critics as she is reportedly moving ahead with big plans before arriving in Sydney next week.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be visiting Down Under for the first time since their royal tour in 2018 and the couple are hoping to make the most out of this opportunity.

This is considered a private visit, as the Sussexes will be going on their own accord for business, hence there is government involvement in the matter. Still, Buckingham Palace was informed of it prior to it being announced to the public.

As the royal family grapples with his slew of troubles following the Andrew-Esptein scandal, there has been a drop in the public view and Australia in particular has seen growing anti-monarchy movements recently. Meghan is hoping to turn that into her favour.

“It’s no secret that a lot of people in Australia aren’t exactly fans of the Royal Family, just look at how much traction the anti-monarchist movement has over there,” an insider told Heat magazine.

She’s convinced that they can tap into that sentiment and position themselves as the modern alternative to the royal family.”

The insider claimed that the As Ever founder is taking that as “massive green light” and believes that people will be “automatically” far more receptive to her and Harry than they are in England.

“She really feels she can be the new queen of hearts down under,” the source said, adding that Meghan sees a “huge market” in Australia with “serious money”.

They continued, ‘She’s already secured a bunch of trademarks so that she can launch her products and she’s very excited about the potential.”

Meghan is likely to be testing the waters during this visit. Reports earlier this year claimed that Meghan has a massive stock of products and she plans on going international, which is why she allegedly cut ties with Netflix for her lifestyle brand.

Lionel Richie has opened up about his high-stakes decision to save Rae from elimination on American Idol, revealing that he prioritised “vibe” and stage presence when faced with an incredibly tough choice. 

Following the show on Monday, 6 April, the legendary Hello singer found himself in the hot seat after winning the judges’ song contest, a victory that granted him the sole power to rescue one of the bottom two contestants. 

Richie, 76, ultimately chose to keep Rae in the competition over Jesse Findling, explaining to reporters after the broadcast that he “chose vibe over everything else.”

The dramatic conclusion followed a ’90s-themed night where judges anonymously suggested tracks for the hopefuls. 

Richie, clearly enjoying his win in the song contest, joked that his success initially felt “embarrassing” compared to his fellow judges, but admitted the responsibility of choosing who stayed was a strange position to be in.

He noted that beyond the vocal performance, it was Rae’s attitude and the way she held the stage that tipped the scales in her favour.

Richie’s fellow judges were quick to back the decision, despite the emotional weight of the evening. 

Luke Bryan, 49, described Rae as a consistently solid performer throughout the season, suggesting that any recent stumbles were likely down to a lack of familiarity with the ’90s song choices rather than a lack of talent. 

Meanwhile, Carrie Underwood, 43, called the situation “impossible,” noting that while she was surprised to see Rae and Jesse in the bottom two, the energy felt in the room often differs from what the public experiences at home.

The result was bittersweet for Rae, who was left mourning the departure of her closest friend in the competition. 

The 24-year-old expressed a mix of gratitude and sadness, praising Jesse Findling as a talented artist destined for a huge career. 

The remaining 11 contestants are now preparing for next week’s challenge, where they will perform hits from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees as they fight for a spot in the next round.