Exclusive: As Prince Harry and Meghan's whirlwind Australia tour comes to an end there's one detail most Australians can agree on, according to an exclusive survey.
And it's that none of it should have been funded by taxpayers.
Some of the couple's policing costs came out of the public's pocket despite their trip being labelled as private, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
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Nearly 90 per cent of the 904 readers nine.com.au surveyed said it never should have been allowed.
"I find it almost obscene that the Australian taxpayer is funding any part of the visit when so many families are struggling," one told nine.com.au.
"They make more than enough money to cover their own expenses," said another.
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Only six per cent were on board with taxpayer money going towards the pair's policing costs.
"Police are used to protect most high end celebrities, I don't see why Meghan and Harry's tour is any different," one said.
This has been, at least in part, a money-making venture for the couple.
But most nine.com.au readers said they wouldn't pay to see Harry or Meghan, both of whom had ticketed event appearances on their Australian agenda.
Harry was the keynote speaker at the InterEdge summit, where tickets were priced at up to $2400 per person.
He is not believed to have been paid for the appearance, the Press Association reported.
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Meghan appeared at a women's only retreat hosted by Her Best Life podcast yesterday, where tickets ranged from $2699 to $3199.
She was paid, but sources claim it was only a nominal fee.
Either way, only two per cent of nine.com.au readers said they'd be willing to pay to attend either event.
One per cent were undecided, while the other 97 per cent were firmly against it.
The story might have been different had Harry and Meghan not stepped down from their roles as senior working royals back in 2020.
More than half of nine.com.au readers are still in favour of using taxpayer money to fund official royal tours, like if the Prince and Princess of Wales came to Australia.
"William and Kate are still working royals, so on official business the tax payer should pay," one person said.
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Another added that royals like Harry and Meghan who have stood down from official duties should have to "pay their own way".
Even so, close to 40 per cent were opposed to using taxpayer money for any royal visits and insisted all royals – regardless of status – should fund their own trips Down Under.
The nine.com.au poll, which runs once a fortnight, canvases the views of the Nine audience on 9Nation, which is an online community of our readers and viewers.
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