As soon as the announcement was made that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex wanted to “step back” from their royal roles, Madame Tussauds London swiftly reacted by giving the couple the royal boot and evicting their wax statues from the main royal display.
But the Australian museum in Sydney said they won’t be following suit and have every intention of keeping Harry and Meghan on show with the rest of the family as they are “better together”.
“Don’t worry Australia, we’re making no rash decisions here,” general manager Mark Connolly told 10 Daily.
“We know how popular Meghan and Harry are with Australians – which we witnessed during their 2018 Royal visit. Taking a seat amongst the Royal Family is one of the most popular and iconic photos that our guests capture and we want to encourage this.”
The Harry and Meghan figurines are housed in the Royal Academy section of the Sydney museum along with Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
As well as taking a photo with the royals, visitors learn how to walk, talk and dress like a royal through interactive boards offering lessons in etiquette.
There is a selection of fascinators and top hats which people can select from to ensure they are appropriately attired to be greeted by royalty.
The flagship wax museum, based in London, removed the royal couple just one day after they made the shock announcement that they were planning to split their time between ‘the United Kingdom and North America’ while stepping down from their ‘senior roles’.
On Friday an awkward looking space was left beside the statues of the Queen and Prince Phillip.
Madame Tussauds, which contains more than 250 wax models of celebrities, said the Harry and Meghan figurines will eventually be returned, but it will be in a section well away from the other royals away they have on display, including Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
“Alongside the rest of the world, we are reacting to the surprising news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be stepping back as senior Royals,” said general manager Steve Davies.
He added in a statement: “As two of our most popular and well-loved figures, they will of course remain an important feature at Madame Tussauds London as we watch to see what the next chapter holds for them.”
