Harry and Meghan faced demands to pay for their own security on a tour of Australia last night, amid confusion over the purpose of their visit.

Australian MP David Limbrick said the Sussexes should reimburse local police 'in full' for any protection provided to them this week, rather than letting the money come out of taxpayers' pockets.

The couple will take part in a series of private engagements across four days, with stop-offs in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.

However, they were accused yesterday of cashing in on their visit to Australia and treating it 'like an ATM'.

Representatives for the Sussexes have insisted the tour is privately funded, but police in Victoria and New South Wales have confirmed they will deploy additional resources 'to ensure public safety'. 

Neither force has confirmed the exact costs of this or whether any reimbursement has been agreed.

During the couple's royal tour of Australia in 2018 - when they undertook engagements on behalf of the late Queen - security was provided for them. However, Harry and Meghan stepped back as senior working royals in 2020.

'There is a fee structure for police support in Victoria, but if Harry and Meghan want any goodwill, they will pay for it in full,' Mr Limbrick told reporters.

The backlash follows an online petition titled 'No taxpayer-funding or official support for Harry & Meghan's private visit to Australia!', which has gained more than 46,000 signatures.

Meanwhile, a headline in The Sydney Morning Herald yesterday read: 'Australia was good to Harry and Meghan. Now they want to use us as an ATM.'

Harry has been lined up as a guest speaker at the InterEdge Summit on Thursday, which is set to explore the 'vital space where individual wellbeing and organisational responsibility meet'.

Delegate tickets for the two-day conference, hosted at Melbourne's Centrepiece venue, are available for £525, with platinum tickets costing £1,250 and a 'virtual ticket allowing on-demand access to Harry's speech' costing £260.

And the duchess will be interviewed on stage at a 'girls' weekend' retreat in Sydney, where tickets cost £1,400.

VIP passes for the event, at the five-star InterContinental Coogee Beach hotel, cost £1,675 and include a group photo with Meghan.

The couple are also due to visit a children's hospital, and Harry, who was forced to relinquish his military titles when he stepped back from royal duties, will attend engagements at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. 

It is not clear how much they will be paid for their appearances on the trip.

A former police minister, David Elliott, told Sky News Australia that many would be 'horrified' at the prospect of taxpayer support, given the couple's treatment of the late Queen and King Charles.

Since the Sussexes stepped down, they have carried out several foreign tours, including to Colombia and Nigeria in 2024, which raised similar questions.

Harry, who now lives in Montecito, California, has fought legal battles to restore taxpayer-funded protection for when he visits Britain. 

The Home Office has resisted pressure to reinstate their security.

A spokesman for the couple said: 'The visit will highlight the duke and duchess's continued commitment to supporting mental health, strengthening support for the armed forces community, and championing the power of connection and shared experience to drive positive change.'