Meghan Markle Shares “Vulnerability, Honesty and Joy” On Girl’s Weekend Retreat

Girls just want to have fun, and a weekend getaway in the sun was a highlight on Meghan Markle’s visit to Australia. The Sydney beach weekend was marketed as “an unforgettable weekend for women ready to reconnect, recharge and have some serious fun,” targeted to Her Best Life podcast listeners.

“This is your chance to step away from everyday life and spend a weekend focusing on connection, growth, joy and celebration,” the website boasted. The retreat had space for 300 women and the VIP tickets—which featured the most face-time with Meghan Markle herself—cost $2,285 per person to attend. “We could not adore you more, Meghan!” host Gemma O’Neill wrote on Instagram. “Thank you for your vulnerability, honesty and joy,” she said in the post, featuring a series of photos from the in-person conversation between the podcast host and Meghan Markle.

“I keep having to pinch myself that Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is coming to sit down with me,” Gemma O’Neill told News.com.au ahead of the retreat. “I’m just a mum from Sydney with a podcast that started as a passion for those trying to live their best lives.” O’Neill hosts the Her Best Life podcast, which is for “women who want more from life—more honesty, more connection and more growth.” The podcast host told listeners that she hoped the retreat “fills your cup and reminds you how powerful women are when we come together.”

"I am, like, beside myself about it, because I have admired this woman, and what she has endured, how she's risen above it, and how she has demonstrated, how a woman can be pushed down and she can still rise, and that person is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex," O'Neill said of Meghan's journey in the public eye. Meghan stayed for about two hours to attend the retreat’s in person conversation and meet with guests before departing for the next stop on her Australia royal-ish tour.